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Soft Matter

Where physics meets chemistry meets biology for fundamental soft matter research.



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Soft Matter, 2008, 4, 2310 - 2315, DOI: 10.1039/b805563g

Modular self-assembling biomaterials for directing cellular responses

Joel H. Collier

Self-assembling biomaterials are promising as cell-interactive matrices because they can be constructed in a modular fashion, which enables the independent and simultaneous tuning of several of their physicochemical and biological properties. Such modularity facilitates the optimization of multi-component matrices for use in complex biological environments such as 3-D cell culture or scaffolds for regenerative medicine. This Highlight will discuss recent strategies for producing modular self-assembling biomaterials, with a particular focus on how ligand presentation and matrix mechanics can be controlled in modular ways. In addition, it will discuss key hurdles that remain for employing these materials as cell-interactive scaffolds in biomedical applications, particularly those challenges that relate to how they may interface with the immune system.

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