Test and tune: evaluating, adjusting and optimising the stiffness of hydrogels to influence cell fate

Yang, P; Boer, G; Snow, F; Williamson, A; Cheeseman, S; Samarasinghe, RM; Rifai, A; Priyam, A; Elnathan, R; Guijt, R; Quigley, A; Kaspa, R; Nisbet, DR; Williams, RJ

Test and tune: evaluating, adjusting and optimising the stiffness of hydrogels to influence cell fate

Yang, P Boer, G Snow, F Williamson, A Cheeseman, S Samarasinghe, RM Rifai, A Priyam, A Elnathan, R Guijt, R Quigley, A Kaspa, R Nisbet, DR Williams, RJ

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Publisher:: ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025, 505
Issue Date:: 2025-02-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Yang, P
dc.contributor.author	Boer, G
dc.contributor.author	Snow, F
dc.contributor.author	Williamson, A
dc.contributor.author	Cheeseman, S
dc.contributor.author	Samarasinghe, RM
dc.contributor.author	Rifai, A
dc.contributor.author	Priyam, A
dc.contributor.author	Elnathan, R
dc.contributor.author	Guijt, R
dc.contributor.author	Quigley, A
dc.contributor.author	Kaspa, R
dc.contributor.author	Nisbet, DR
dc.contributor.author	Williams, RJ
dc.date.accessioned	2025-07-16T23:13:31Z
dc.date.available	2025-07-16T23:13:31Z
dc.date.issued	2025-02-01
dc.identifier.citation	Chemical Engineering Journal, 2025, 505
dc.identifier.issn	1385-8947
dc.identifier.issn	1873-3212
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/188478
dc.description.abstract	The use of bioequivalent hydrogels in tissue engineering (TE) is enabling 3D tissue-like scaffolds capable of reproducing the sophistication of natural cell–matrix interactions. Alongside the common concerns of chemical function, it is crucial that hydrogels have suitable mechanical properties, particularly stiffness, to create a complete biomimetic environment for cell development. Non-covalent biocompatible hydrogels are often too soft, while stiffer, covalently crosslinked materials may have challenging microenvironments in which porosity and residual chemicals can be problematic. If the potential of hydrogel-based TE to be realised, design strategies need to be carefully considered to achieve desirable end-use biomechanical properties. This review is intended for a cross-disciplinary readership; we discuss recent successes in bioengineering hydrogel stiffness, where materials that are responsive to cell inputs are used to explore the relationship between substrate stiffness and cellular fate commitment. We discuss the most popular measurements for mechanical studies, and outline optimal substrate stiffness for different cells. We summarise recent advanced studies on tuning stiffness and highlight future challenges challenges to address.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA
dc.relation.ispartof	Chemical Engineering Journal
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.cej.2025.159295
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	0904 Chemical Engineering, 0905 Civil Engineering, 0907 Environmental Engineering
dc.subject.classification	Chemical Engineering
dc.subject.classification	4004 Chemical engineering
dc.subject.classification	4011 Environmental engineering
dc.subject.classification	4016 Materials engineering
dc.title	Test and tune: evaluating, adjusting and optimising the stiffness of hydrogels to influence cell fate
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	505
utslib.for	0904 Chemical Engineering
utslib.for	0905 Civil Engineering
utslib.for	0907 Environmental Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Biomedical Engineering
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
dc.rights.license	This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.date.updated	2025-07-16T23:13:27Z
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	505

Abstract:

The use of bioequivalent hydrogels in tissue engineering (TE) is enabling 3D tissue-like scaffolds capable of reproducing the sophistication of natural cell–matrix interactions. Alongside the common concerns of chemical function, it is crucial that hydrogels have suitable mechanical properties, particularly stiffness, to create a complete biomimetic environment for cell development. Non-covalent biocompatible hydrogels are often too soft, while stiffer, covalently crosslinked materials may have challenging microenvironments in which porosity and residual chemicals can be problematic. If the potential of hydrogel-based TE to be realised, design strategies need to be carefully considered to achieve desirable end-use biomechanical properties. This review is intended for a cross-disciplinary readership; we discuss recent successes in bioengineering hydrogel stiffness, where materials that are responsive to cell inputs are used to explore the relationship between substrate stiffness and cellular fate commitment. We discuss the most popular measurements for mechanical studies, and outline optimal substrate stiffness for different cells. We summarise recent advanced studies on tuning stiffness and highlight future challenges challenges to address.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/188478