Convenient three-dimensional cell culture in supermolecular hydrogels.

A convenient three-dimensional cell culture was developed by employing high swelling property of hybrid hydrogels coassembled from C2-phenyl-based supermolecular gelators and sodium hyaluronate. Imaging and spectroscopic analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra confirm that the hybrid gelators can self-assemble into nanofibrous hydrogel. The high swelling property of dried gel ensures cell migration and proliferation inside bulk of the hydrogels, which provides a facial method to study disease models, the effect of drug dosages, and tissue culture in vitro.