Dynamic Display of Bioactivity through Host–Guest Chemistry

A molecular host, β-cyclodextrin (CD), covalently attached to an alginate matrix enables dynamic control of cue display through exchange of guest molecules. Addition of soluble RGDS-containing guest molecules to culture medium induced focal adhesion formation and spreading of 3T3 fibroblasts on the otherwise non-spreading alginate surface. The spreading could be reversed by adding competitive guest molecules bearing the mutated non-bioactive sequence RGES.