Multimaterial 3D Laser Printing of Cell‐Adhesive and Cell‐Repellent Hydrogels

Abstract

AbstractHere, a straightforward method is reported for manufacturing 3D microstructured cell‐adhesive and cell‐repellent multimaterials using two‐photon laser printing. Compared to existing strategies, this approach offers bottom‐up molecular control, high customizability, and rapid and precise 3D fabrication. The printable cell‐adhesive polyethylene glycol (PEG) based material includes an Arg‐Gly‐Asp (RGD) containing peptide synthesized through solid‐phase peptide synthesis, allowing for precise control of the peptide design. Remarkably, minimal amounts of RGD peptide (< 0.1 wt%) suffice for imparting cell‐adhesiveness, while maintaining identical mechanical properties in the 3D printed microstructures to those of the cell‐repellent, PEG‐based material. Fluorescent labeling of the RGD peptide facilitates visualization of its presence in cell‐adhesive areas. To demonstrate the broad applicability of the system, the fabrication of cell‐adhesive 2.5D and 3D structures is shown, fostering the adhesion of fibroblast cells within these architectures. Thus, this approach allows for the printing of high‐resolution, true 3D structures suitable for diverse applications, including cellular studies in complex environments.