Three-Dimensional Extracellular Matrix Protein Hydrogels for Human Trabecular Meshwork Cell Studies

Ayushi Singh; Rajanya Ghosh; Haiyan Li; Michael P Geiss; Hannah Yoo; Ana N Strat; Preethi S Ganapathy; Samuel Herberg

doi:10.1007/978-1-0716-4140-8_2

Three-Dimensional Extracellular Matrix Protein Hydrogels for Human Trabecular Meshwork Cell Studies

Methods Mol Biol. 2025:2858:17-29. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-4140-8_2.

Authors

Ayushi Singh^#^{1

2}, Rajanya Ghosh^#^{1

3}, Haiyan Li^#^{1

2

4}, Michael P Geiss^{1

5}, Hannah Yoo¹, Ana N Strat^{1

6}, Preethi S Ganapathy^{1

6

7}, Samuel Herberg^{8

9

10

11

12}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
² Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
³ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
⁴ Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
⁵ Department of Physics, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
⁶ Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
⁷ BioInspired Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA.
⁸ Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA. [email protected].
⁹ Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA. [email protected].
¹⁰ Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA. [email protected].
¹¹ BioInspired Institute, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA. [email protected].
¹² Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA. [email protected].

^# Contributed equally.

PMID: 39433663
PMCID: PMC11571287 (available on 2026-01-01)
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-4140-8_2

Abstract

The extracellular microenvironment plays a crucial role in regulating a wide range of cell behaviors. Biopolymer hydrogels are ideally suited to present a realistic three-dimensional extracellular milieu to cells in vitro. Here, we describe the fabrication and use of soft tissue-mimetic extracellular matrix protein hydrogels for investigations of human trabecular meshwork cell biology.

Keywords: Bioengineering; Biopolymers; Glaucoma; Outflow tract; Photo-crosslinking.

MeSH terms

Cell Culture Techniques / methods
Cells, Cultured
Extracellular Matrix / chemistry
Extracellular Matrix / metabolism
Extracellular Matrix Proteins* / chemistry
Extracellular Matrix Proteins* / metabolism
Humans
Hydrogels* / chemistry
Trabecular Meshwork* / cytology
Trabecular Meshwork* / metabolism

Substances

Hydrogels
Extracellular Matrix Proteins

Abstract

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding