Gelatin Methacryloyl Based Injectable Cryogels With Tunable Degradability For Cell Delivery.

Scaffold-based cell delivery can improve therapeutic effects of transplanted cells in cell therapy. A biomaterial scaffold serves as a niche for cell growth and proliferation which improves cell survival and overall function post cell delivery. In our study, gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) based injectable scaffolds made using poly(ethylene)glycol (PEG) as a sacrificial polymer and cryogelation as a technique, have been demonstrated to have tunable degradability and porosity that's required for cell and drug delivery applications. The pore size (10-142 μm) of these gels makes them suitable for loading different cell types as per the application. In vitro studies using NIH3T3 cells confirm that these cryogels are cytocompatible. These cell-laden scaffolds are injectable and have a cell retention ability of up to 90% after injection. Rheology was done to evaluate stiffness as well as shape recovery property, and it was found that these gels could maintain their original shape even after applying 7 cycles of strain from 0.1 to 20%. Furthermore, their degradability could be modulated between 6-10 days by changing the overall polymer composition. Thus, injectability and degradability of these cryogels can circumvent invasive surgical procedures, thereby making them useful for a variety of applications including delivery of cells and bioactive factors. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.