In Situ Formation of Covalent Second Network in a DNA Supramolecular Hydrogel and Its Application for 3D Cell Imaging

DNA hydrogels have been demonstrated with important applications in three-dimensional cell culture in vitro due to their good biocompatibility, biodegradability, and permeability. In these applications, to observe the cell morphology and functions in situ, immobilization, labeling, and imaging processes are involved, which requires good stability of the hydrogels during washing and immersion. To improve the stability of the hydrogels for better imaging, here we built a covalent second network in a DNA supramolecular hydrogel by in situ polymerization and successfully constructed a stable three-dimensional transparent system for cell culture and observation. This strategy has been proved to be efficient in enhancing the mechanical properties and immobilizing the cells inside the hydrogel, which can be applied for immunostaining and cell imaging.