Description
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Maleimide PVA-3CG Hydrogel Kit provides reagents for setting up fast gelling, cell-compatible hydrogels. Its major components are maleimide functionalized polyvinyl aclcohol (Mal-PVA) and the crosslinker 3CG-Link. When the two reagents are combined, thiol groups on 3CG-Link form stable thioether bonds with maleimide groups on Mal-PVA, which results in the formation of the gel. 3CG-Link is composed of polyethylene glycol and a matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-cleavable peptide (Pro-Leu-Gly-Leu-Trp-Ala). The MMP-cleavable peptide is designed for a broad range of MMP cleavage including MMPs MMP1, MMP3, MMP7 and MMP9. It allows cells to spread and migrate within the hydrogel, if they express the indicated MMPs. In most cases cell spreading and migration also requires the presence of adhesion peptides. Prior to the crosslinking step, cell adhesion peptides (e.g. RGD Peptide, Cat.No. CDAS012) can be covalently attached to a portion of the maleimide groups of Mal-PVA to provide a cell-adhesive matrix. |