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Aptamer-Modified Hydrogels

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Tunable Hydrogels

Part of the book series: Advances in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology ((ABE,volume 178))

Abstract

Hydrogels have attracted much attention especially due to their biocompatibility and their potential for stimulus responsiveness. By combining hydrogels with aptamers, biological recognition and responsiveness can be added to hydrogels, thereby opening path to advanced applications in biosensing and biomedicine. Within this chapter aptamers will be introduced and their contributions to biological responsiveness of hydrogels will be described. Especially the aptamer-based mechanisms that result in biological responsiveness will be explained and examples for the application of these mechanisms will be given ranging from rather simple sensing approaches to advanced materials for tissue engineering and drug delivery. Since aptamers are not only highly specific bioreceptors, but represent switchable structures that can be easily manipulated using well-known DNA techniques, the combination of aptamers and hydrogels facilitates the rational design of well-programmable and target-responsive smart hydrogels.

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Abbreviations

ATP:

Adenosine triphosphate

AuNP:

Gold nanoparticle

bFGF:

Basic fibroblast growth factor

CTC:

Circulating tumor cell

DNA:

Deoxyribonucleic acid

ECM:

Extracellular matrix

FNA:

Functional nucleic acid

HUVEC:

Human umbilical cord cells

PCR:

Polymerase chain reaction

PDGF:

Platelet-derived growth factor

PEG:

Polyethylene glycol

QD:

Quantum dot

RNA :

Ribonucleic acid

SELEX:

Systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment

TID:

Target-induced dissociation

TISS:

Target-induced structure switch

VEGF:

Vascular endothelial growth factor

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Technische Chemie, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Hannover, Germany

    Johanna-Gabriela Walter

Authors
  1. Johanna-Gabriela Walter
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Johanna-Gabriela Walter .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Technical Chemistry, Leibniz University of Hannover, Hannover, Germany

    Antonina Lavrentieva

  2. Institute of Technical Chemistry, Leibniz University of Hannover, Hannover, Germany

    Iliyana Pepelanova

  3. Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel

    Dror Seliktar

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Walter, JG. (2021). Aptamer-Modified Hydrogels. In: Lavrentieva, A., Pepelanova, I., Seliktar, D. (eds) Tunable Hydrogels. Advances in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology, vol 178. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/10_2021_166

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