Supramolecular hydrogels based on host-guest-interactions
Yuqing Wang (JGU, Chemistry)

Printing of biologically functional constructs is significant for applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. However, the development of bio-ink, a printable cell-laden material, remains a major challenge due to its multifaceted demands. While printability is highly dependent on the physical properties of the material, the formation of functional tissues requires interactions between the cells and the extracellular matrix.
In this work, a balance between the physical processability and cytocompatibility is achieved by using a supramolecular approach. Therefore, one supramolecular network which shows fast stress relaxation and supports cell proliferation is mixed with a second physical network that can be transformed into a chemical network by applying an external photo trigger. The interpenetrating networks obtained have improved shape fidelity while the cytocompatibility is maintained.