A hyaluronic acid/graphene oxide hydrogel for enhanced ex vivo expansion of cord blood-derived CD34+ cells

Abstract HA/GO hydrogels were prepared by methacrylated GO (MeGO) and methacrylated HA (MeHA) via an in-situ free radical polymerization, and then a series of HA/GO hydrogels with highly porous structure were obtained. All hydrogels exhibited excellent water absorption ability. Additionally, the elastic moduli of hydrogels were clearly enhanced by GO. CD34 + cells cultured on HA/GO-0.05 hydrogel showed higher expansion of CD34 + cells and CD34 + CD38 − cells compared to the other three hydrogels. Therefore, HA/GO-0.05 hydrogels have a potential for clinical-applied ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic stem cells.