This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A research team from Tel Aviv University and the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (IPF), led by Ayala Lampel and Carsten Werner, has developed a peptide-glycosaminoglycan hydrogel system that creates a programmable niche for hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). The system mimics key biochemical and mechanical cues of the bone marrow microenvironment, enabling researchers to investigate how these signals influence stem cell behavior.
Published in Advanced Functional Materials, the study addresses a central challenge in ex vivo HSPC culture: expanding the cells while preserving stem cell properties relevant to therapeutic applications. The researchers demonstrated that the degree of sulfation in heparin-derived glycosaminoglycans regulates the self-assembly of peptide networks, allowing precise tuning of the hydrogel architecture without requiring covalent crosslinking. By varying the sulfation level, the team could independently adjust the hydrogels' mechanical stiffness and cytokine-binding capacity.
The resulting tunable 3D niche provides a system for examining how biochemical and mechanical properties of the cellular microenvironment influence HSPC behavior. Beyond HSPCs, the sulfation-cofactor principle could be adapted to other niche-dependent cell types, highlighting the potential of these hydrogel systems for applications across various biomedical fields. Shirel Veretnik et al, Sulfation‐Tunable Peptide‐Glycosaminoglycan Hydrogels for Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cell Expansion, Advanced Functional Materials (2026).
DOI: 10.1002/adfm.77603 Journal information: Advanced Functional Materials Provided by Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research BA art history, MA material culture. Former museum editor, paramedic, and transplant coordinator. Editing for Science X since 2021.
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