Endothelial cells angiogenesis in sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG) hydrogels enhanced by bioactive glass-released ions
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The successful clinical translation of large-scale tissue-engineered constructs is significantly hindered by the lack of functional vascularization, which is crucial for delivering oxygen and nutrients to cells. Current in vitro angiogenesis models often rely on murine tumor-derived extracellular matrix (ECM) materials, which suffer from non-defined composition and batch-to-batch variability, and on the delivery of growth factors at non-physiological concentrations. Hydrogels offer a superior alternative for the rational design of biomimetic ECM environments, because of their versatility in tuning biochemical and mechanical properties. This study presents a novel growth factor-free hydrogel composed of gelatin, chondroitin sulfate, and laminin, designed to promote endothelial cell (EC) angiogenesis in vitro. The hydrogel's mechanical properties are precisely controlled by varying its crosslinking degree, attesting that a softer substrate (Young's modulus ≈80 Pa) significantly boosts ECs tube formation. Furthermore, the angiogenic process is enhanced by several hours with ions released by bioactive glass 58S (BG58S), specifically calcium and silicon. Finally, the expression of angiogenesis-related genes and the production of matrix remodeling enzymes is augmented in the presence of BG58S-conditioned medium. It is believed that this bioinstructive sulfate GAG based hydrogel represents a promising solution for vascularizing 3D cellular constructs, marking a significant step toward the clinical application of tissue engineering products.
Date Issued
2026-04-13
Date Acceptance
2025-12-01
Citation
Advanced Functional Materials, 2026, 36 (30)
ISSN
1616-301X
Publisher
Wiley
Journal / Book Title
Advanced Functional Materials
Volume
36
Issue
30
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Author(s). Advanced Functional Materials published by Wiley-VCH GmbH This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Identifier
10.1002/adfm.202519933
Subjects
angiogenesis
BEHAVIOR
bioactive glass
Chemistry
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Chemistry, Physical
CLINICAL TRANSLATION
CULTURE
ECM mimics
hydrogel
IN-VITRO
Materials Science
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Physical Sciences
Physics
Physics, Applied
Physics, Condensed Matter
SCAFFOLDS
Science & Technology
Science & Technology - Other Topics
sulfated glycosaminoglycans
Technology
tissue engineering
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
e19933
Date Publish Online
2025-12-12