Injectable, porous, and cell-responsive gelatin cryogels

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Surgical implantation of biomaterials can lead to complications, necessitating minimally invasive delivery systems.
• Developing injectable scaffolds that retain structure and support cellular activity is crucial for advanced therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create injectable, cell-adhesive, and degradable gelatin scaffolds.
• To evaluate the in vitro and in vivo performance of these gelatin cryogels.
• To assess their potential as a cell-responsive platform for biomaterial-based therapy.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of cell-adhesive and degradable gelatin cryogels.
• In vitro assessment of cell attachment, proliferation, and survival.
• In vitro degradation studies using matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9.
• In vivo subcutaneous injection in mice to assess shape retention and host response.
• In vivo evaluation of controlled release of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and subsequent immune cell infiltration and scaffold degradation.

Main Results:

• Injectable gelatin cryogels maintained predefined geometry and architecture post-injection.
• Scaffolds supported cell attachment, proliferation, and survival in vitro.
• Cryogels were degradable by matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9.
• Subcutaneous injection in mice showed rapid shape recovery and minimal host response.
• Controlled release of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor led to immune cell infiltration and cell-mediated cryogel degradation.

Conclusions:

• Gelatin cryogels serve as a viable, injectable biomaterial platform.
• These scaffolds are cell-responsive and promote cell-mediated degradation.
• The findings support the potential of gelatin cryogels for minimally invasive, advanced therapies.