Tuneable, bioactive hydrogels present an attractive option as cell‐instructive substrates for tissue regeneration. Properties mimicking the extracellular matrix at the site of injury are sought after, in particular the ability to regulate growth factors that are key to the regeneration process. This study demonstrates the successful formation of hydrogels with heparin functionalities and fibroblast growth factor‐2 (FGF‐2). Poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate)‐heparin hydrogels were capable of retaining FGF‐2 by specific binding to heparin and subsequently showed sustained presentation of the growth factor to mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC). Heparin acted as stable anchoring molecules for FGF‐2 on the substrate and the synergistic effect of the ensuing heparin‐FGF‐2 complex was evident in supporting long term cell growth. The presence of heparin during 3D scaffold formation was also found to introduce surface roughness and microporosity to the resulting hydrogels. While FGF‐2 has been known to encourage MSC growth and maintain their multilineage potential, other heparin‐binding ligands such as bone morphogenetic proteins are potent differentiation stimuli for MSC. Therefore preserving MSC multipotency or a push toward a differentiation pathway may be pursued by the choice of ligand applied to and bound by the heparin functionalities on the current substrate.

中文翻译：

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肝素功能化水凝胶作为生长因子信号传导底物。

可调的生物活性水凝胶作为组织再生的细胞指导底物是一个有吸引力的选择。寻求在损伤部位模拟细胞外基质的特性，特别是调节对再生过程至关重要的生长因子的能力。该研究证明了具有肝素功能和成纤维细胞生长因子-2 (FGF-2) 的水凝胶的成功形成。聚（2-羟乙基甲基丙烯酸酯）-肝素水凝胶能够通过与肝素特异性结合来保留 FGF-2，并随后向间充质基质细胞（MSC）显示生长因子的持续呈递。肝素作为 FGF-2 在底物上的稳定锚定分子，由此产生的肝素-FGF-2 复合物的协同作用在支持长期细胞生长方面很明显。还发现在 3D 支架形成过程中肝素的存在会导致所得水凝胶的表面粗糙度和微孔性。虽然已知 FGF-2 可促进 MSC 生长并保持其多向潜能，但其他肝素结合配体（如骨形态发生蛋白）是 MSC 的有效分化刺激物。因此，可以通过选择应用于当前基质上的肝素功能并受其结合的配体来保持 MSC 的多能性或推动分化途径。其他肝素结合配体如骨形态发生蛋白是 MSC 的有效分化刺激物。因此，可以通过选择应用于当前基质上的肝素功能并受其结合的配体来保持 MSC 的多能性或推动分化途径。其他肝素结合配体如骨形态发生蛋白是 MSC 的有效分化刺激物。因此，可以通过选择应用于当前基质上的肝素功能并受其结合的配体来保持 MSC 的多能性或推动分化途径。