Hydrogels are three-dimensional (3D) natural or synthetic structures that are often used as a tool to mimic the ECM with the objective to recreate the natural environment of cells. These systems offer more realistic conditions than hard planar substrates such as standard polystyrene dishes, improving the standard cell culture techniques. They can also be used to put cells in contact with different proteins and growth factors, which can influence different cellular responses, such as differentiation or growth

Here we describe a family of 3D hydrogels consisting of PEG and LMWH (PEG-Hep hydrogels) that were synthesized and fully characterized in order to imitate the conditions of the ECM of the LNs with the objective to increase primary human (CD4+) T cell proliferation and tune differentiation for ACT.