Stimuli-responsive gel particles that undergo changes in size in response to environmental stimuli such as pH and temperature have attracted considerable attention as smart biomaterials. We have prepared various biomolecule-responsive hydrogels by using biomolecular complexes as dynamic crosslinks. In this study, we prepared biomolecule-responsive bioconjugated gel particles, which undergo changes in size in response to a target biomolecule such as glucose and antigen, by introducing saccharide-lectin and antigen-antibody complexes as dynamic crosslinks. The glucose-responsive gel particles were prepared as follows: After the synthesis of acryloyl-modified concanavalin A (ConA), the complexes between 2-glucosyloxyethyl methacrylate (GEMA) and acryloyl-modified ConA were formed in a phosphate buffer solution. The GEMA-ConA complexes with acryloyl groups were copolymerized with N, N-diethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DEAEMA) and poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) by surfactant-free emulsion polymerization to obtain the GEMA-ConA gel particles. Similarly, antigen-responsive gel particles were also prepared by the surfactant-free emulsion copolymerization of DEAEMA, PEGDMA, acryloyl-modified antigen and antibody. The resultant GEMA-ConA gel particles were colloidally stable in phosphate buffered saline and had a diameter of approximately 300 nm. The GEMA-ConA gel particles swelled in the presence of glucose. The swelling ratio of the GEMA-ConA gel particles changed in accordance with glucose concentration. Their glucose-responsive swelling was caused by the dissociation of the GEMA-ConA complexes acting as crosslinks. Furthermore, the paper will describe the antigen-responsive behavior of antigen-responsive gel particles having antigen-antibody complexes as dynamic crosslinks.

Synthesis of biomolecule-responsive bioconjugated gel particles for biomedical applications

247th National Meeting (2014)

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