Graphene hydrogel and methods of using the same
Provided herein are hydrogel compositions containing graphene, chitosan, a polyethylene (glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA). The hydrogel can optionally contain an N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) (TPCG hydrogel). Also provided are methods for differentiating a cell on the hydrogels described herein. Further provided herein are methods for delivering a compound via the hydrogels described herein.
1. A method comprising:
contacting a cell with a hydrogel for a period of time, where the hydrogel comprises:
at least two acrylated chitosan-graphene monomers, where each chitosan-graphene monomer comprises:
carboxylic acid functionalized graphene, where the chitosan component of the chitosan-graphene monomer is covalently bonded to the carboxylic acid functionalized graphene component of the chitosan-graphene monomer; and
polyethylene (glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA), where the (PEGDA) covalently crosslinks the at least two acrylated chitosan-graphene monomers.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of culturing the cell and the hydrogel in cell culture media.
3. The method of claim 2 , where the cell culture media is a differentiation cell culture media.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the differentiation cell culture media is an adipogenic cell culture media, osteogenic cell culture media, chondrogenic cell culture media, or combination thereof.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the cell and hydrogel are cultured in the differentiation cell culture media for about 7 days.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cell is a stem cell.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the stem cell is selected from the group consisting of: a pluripotent stem cell, a totipotent stem cell, a multipotent stem cell, an adult stem cell, and an induced pluripotent stem cell.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cell is a bone-marrow mesenchymal stem cell.
9. The method of claim 1 , where the period of time ranges from about 1 hour to about 14 days.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cell proliferates to form a population of cells after the period of time.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the population of cells is harvested by separating the population of cells from the hydrogel to form harvested cells.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the harvested cells are delivered to a subject in need thereof.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the cell is autologous, allogenic, xenogeneic, or syngeneic.
14. The method claim 1 , wherein after the period of time the cell differentiates to form a differentiated population of cells.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the differentiated population of cells contains at least one cell selected from the group consisting of: a chondrocyte, an adipocyte, and an osteocyte.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the differentiated population of cells is harvested by separating the differentiated population of cells from the hydrogel.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the cell is autologous, allogenic, xenogeneic, or syngeneic.
18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the graphene enhances differentiation of the cell.
19. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the step of delivering the hydrogel and the population of cells to a subject in need thereof.
20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising the step of delivering the hydrogel and the differentiated population of cells to a subject in need thereof.
21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogel further comprises N-Isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), where the NIPAM is crosslinked at least one of the acrylated chitosan-graphenemonomers.