The extracellular matrix (ECM) forms through hierarchical assembly of small and larger polymeric molecules into a transient, hydrogel-like fibrous network that provides mechanical support and biochemical cues to cells. Synthetic, fibrous supramolecular networks formed via non-covalent assembly of various molecules are therefore potential candidates as synthetic mimics of the natural ECM, provided that functionalization with biochemical cues is effective. Here, combinations of slow and fast exchanging molecules that self-assemble into supramolecular fibers are employed to form transient hydrogel networks with tunable dynamic behavior. Obtained results prove that modulating the ratio between these molecules dictates the extent of dynamic behavior of the hydrogels at both the molecular and the network level, which is proposed to enable effective incorporation of cell-adhesive functionalities in these materials. Excitingly, the dynamic nature of the supramolecular components in this system can be conveniently employed to formulate multicomponent supramolecular hydrogels for easy culturing and encapsulation of single cells, spheroids, and organoids. Importantly, these findings highlight the significance of molecular design and exchange dynamics for the application of supramolecular hydrogels as synthetic ECM mimics.

中文翻译：

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设计超分子水凝胶中细胞粘附线索的动力学，以轻松控制细胞封装和行为

细胞外基质 (ECM) 通过将大小聚合物分子分级组装成瞬时的水凝胶状纤维网络而形成，为细胞提供机械支持和生化线索。因此，通过各种分子的非共价组装形成的合成纤维超分子网络是天然 ECM 合成模拟物的潜在候选者，前提是具有生化线索的功能化是有效的。在这里，自组装成超分子纤维的慢速和快速交换分子的组合被用来形成具有可调动态行为的瞬态水凝胶网络。获得的结果证明，调节这些分子之间的比例决定了水凝胶在分子和网络水平上的动态行为程度，提出这种方法是为了在这些材料中有效地结合细胞粘附功能。令人兴奋的是，该系统中超分子组分的动态特性可以方便地用于配制多组分超分子水凝胶，以便于培养和封装单细胞、球体和类器官。重要的是，这些发现突出了分子设计和交换动力学对于将超分子水凝胶用作合成 ECM 模拟物的重要性。