In vitro and in vivo analysis of visible light crosslinkable gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels

Abstract

Photocrosslinkable materials have been frequently used for constructing soft and biomimetic hydrogels for tissue engineering. Although, ultraviolet (UV) light is commonly used for photocrosslinking such materials, its use has been associated with several biosafety concerns such as DNA damage, accelerated aging of tissues, and cancer. Here we report an injectable visible light crosslinked gelatin-based hydrogel for myocardium regeneration. Mechanical characterization revealed that the compressive moduli of the engineered hydrogels could be tuned in the range of 5–56 kPa, by changing the concentrations of the co-initiator and co-monomer in the precursor formulation. In addition, the average pore sizes (26–103 μm) and swelling ratio (7–13%) were also shown to be tunable by varying the hydrogel formulation. In vitro studies showed that visible light crosslinked GelMA hydrogels supported the growth and function of primary cardiomyocytes (CMs). In addition, the engineered materials were shown to be biocompatible in vivo, and could be successfully delivered to the heart after myocardial infarction in an animal model to promote tissue healing. The developed visible light crosslinked hydrogel could be used for the repair of various soft tissues such as the myocardium, and for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases with enhanced therapeutic functionality.

Local Immunomodulation Using an Adhesive Hydrogel Loaded with miRNA‐Laden Nanoparticles Promotes Wound Healing

“…In our previous studies, we demonstrated that GelMA‐based adhesives possess optimal mechanical and adhesive properties to be used as a tissue sealant or bioadhesive . In this study, GelMA was synthesized by direct reaction of methacrylic anhydride with gelatin as described before ( Figure A) . Visible light cross‐linkable GelMA hydrogels were then formed using Eosin Y as an initiator, the triethanolamine (TEA) as a co‐initiator, and N ‐vinylcaprolactam (VC) as a comonomer.…”

“…Our groups have recently developed biodegradable adhesive hydrogels that can provide a suitable environment for tissue regeneration . Gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA)‐based hydrogels have been shown to support the attachment, infiltration, and proliferation of cells that mediate wound re‐epithelialization and healing . Furthermore, the adhesive properties of these visible light cross‐linkable hydrogels enable rapid and robust attachment to wounds of various shapes and sizes without the need for sutures or staples.…”

Injectable Hydrogels for Cardiac Tissue Engineering

“…This review provides an overview of recent advances and hurdles that remain to be overcome in the biomaterial design and engineering of various injectable hydrogel systems, with emphasis placed on systems being used in cardiac tissue engineering efforts. The articles that comprise the focus of this review are shown in Table 1 …”

Human articular cartilage repair: Sources and detection of cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in photo-crosslinkable hydrogel bioscaffolds

“…Eosin Y which has a peak absorbance of 530 nm and is being investigated as an injectable material has successfully crosslinked GelMa hydrogels under visible light . Although its use in cell‐laden hydrogels is limited by intrinsic toxicity of the molecule itself, the use of coaxial printing methods which separate cells from the PI may warrant further investigation into the use of Eosin Y and other PIs in tissue engineering.…”