Enzymatically Cross-LinkedHyperbranched PolyglycerolHydrogels as Scaffolds for Living Cells.

Althoughseveral strategies are now available to enzymaticallycross-link linear polymers to hydrogels for biomedical use, littleprogress has been reported on the use of dendritic polymers for thesame purpose. Herein, we demonstrate that horseradish peroxidase (HRP)successfully catalyzes the oxidative cross-linking of a hyperbranchedpolyglycerol (hPG) functionalized with phenol groups to hydrogels.The tunable cross-linking results in adjustable hydrogel properties.Because the obtained materials are cytocompatible, they have greatpotential for encapsulating living cells for regenerative therapy.The gel formation can be triggered by glucose and controlled wellunder various environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]