A collagen peptide-based physical hydrogel for cell encapsulation

Collagen peptide-based hydrogels are prepared and characterized for application in 3D cell growth. Physical hydrogels are formed by covalently linking a collagen-based peptide to an 8-arm poly(ethylene glycol) star polymer. The resulting viscoelastic hydrogels have the ability to melt into a liquid-like state near the melting temperature of the collagen triple helix and reform back into an elastic-state at room temperature, adding a thermoresponsive feature to the material. In addition, the hydrogels possess desirable stiffness, as well as a highly cross-linked network of pores where cells are found to reside, making the hydrogels promising scaffolds for the culture of hMSCs.