Powdered Cross-Linked Gelatin Methacryloyl as an Injectable Hydrogel for Adipose Tissue Engineering.

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

The tissue engineering field is currently advancing towards minimally invasive procedures to reconstruct soft tissue defects. In this regard, injectable hydrogels are viewed as excellent scaffold candidates to support and promote the growth of encapsulated cells. Cross-linked gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) gels have received substantial attention due to their extracellular matrix-mimicking properties. In particular, GelMA microgels were recently identified as interesting scaffold materials since the pores in between the microgel particles allow good cell movement and nutrient diffusion. The current work reports on a novel microgel preparation procedure in which a bulk GelMA hydrogel is ground into powder particles. These particles can be easily transformed into a microgel by swelling them in a suitable solvent. The rheological properties of the microgel are independent of the particle size and remain stable at body temperature, with only a minor reversible reduction in elastic modulus correlated to the unfolding of physical cross-links at elevated temperatures. Salts reduce the elastic modulus of the microgel network due to a deswelling of the particles, in addition to triple helix denaturation. The microgels are suited for clinical use, as proven by their excellent cytocompatibility. The latter is confirmed by the superior proliferation of encapsulated adipose tissue-derived ste

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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