Tissue-Adhesive Hydrogel Spray System for Live Cell Immobilization on Biological Surfaces

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Gelatin hydrogels are utilized as 3D cell scaffolds, often crosslinked with poly(ethylene glycol)-N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (PEG-NHS).
• Current methods require minutes for solidification, limiting application on complex biological tissues.
• This restricts their use to semi-closed environments, hindering in vivo cell immobilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rapidly solidifying, tissue-adhesive hydrogel system for spraying and immobilizing live cells onto biological surfaces.
• To overcome the time limitation of conventional gelatin hydrogels for tissue engineering applications.

Main Methods:

• A dual-component hydrogel system was created, combining gelatin/PEG-NHS and instantaneously solidifying PEG hydrogels.
• The system was designed for spray application, enabling rapid solidification upon dispensing.
• Encapsulation of human mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (hMSCs) was performed within the hydrogel matrix.

Main Results:

• The sprayed hydrogel solidified within 5 seconds while retaining tissue adhesive properties.
• Encapsulated hMSCs maintained over 90% viability for at least 7 days.
• The hydrogel system demonstrated protein permeability, crucial for cell function.

Conclusions:

• The developed sprayable hydrogel system offers rapid solidification and tissue adhesion for live cell immobilization.
• This technology shows significant potential for applications in tissue engineering, particularly on complex or inclined tissue surfaces.
• The system supports high cell viability, making it suitable for in vivo therapeutic cell delivery.