3次元組織培養における局所環境制御のためのハイドロゲルシステムの開発

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The focus of my research was the development of various nanoparticle systems that could be introduced into commercial hydrogels to tune their properties. Together with a collaborator, I developed a method to coat large beads with functional polymers, a study that was published on Colloid and Interface Science Communications. Such a method required a precise control of the particles’ surface, and a second article that describes this surface reaction is currently under preparation. I then used this method to prepare gelatin-coated beads that are responsive to matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), an enzyme that plays an important role in various diseases. The plan is to use these beads to develop a MMP-9 biosensor in FY22.Another nanoparticle system that I developed was based on gold nanorods and DNA, for the targeted release of enzymes. Gold nanorods can very efficiently heated using a red laser, and the resulting heath is transferred to the surrounding environment. When double strands of DNA are immobilized on the rods’ surface, the heath causes DNA melting and release of one strand. I confirmed this process using fluorophore-labelled DNA, the next step will be using an enzyme-labelled DNA. Finally, I also developed a liposomes loaded with Ca2+ ions, which could release their cargo when the temperature is above 40 C. An increase of Ca2+ ions can cause physical changes in some hydrogels, for example an increase in stiffness of alginate gels. In order to selectively heath only the liposomes, small (4 nm) gold particles were embedded in their phospholipid bilayer.