Hyaluronic acid matrices show matrix stiffness in 2D and 3D dictates cytoskeletal order and myosin-II phosphorylation within stem cells

What is it about?

A novel platform of elastically tunable hydrogels based on hyaluronic acid is presented that allows for 2D and 3D culture and the impact on mechano-transduction in stem cells is elucidated.

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Why is it important?

While classical elastic substrates like polyacrylamide and PDMS are well-established, they do not allow for a mechanically tunable 3D culture. Here, we present a biocompatible hyaluronic acid based hydrogel system that can be tuned over the whole physiologically relevant range of stiffness (0.1 - 100 kPa) and allows for 3D culture.