Preparation and Characterization of a Novel Injectable Hydrogel

Injectable hydrogels have emerged as a great candidate in tissue engineering for they can be delivered via a minimally invasive manner. Here, we report an in situ forming hydrogel composited of oxidized dextran (Odex) and modified gelatin. The dynamic gelling process was measured through rheological measurements. The effect of the ratio of Odex and gelatin on gelling time, microstructure, swelling ratio and in vitro degradation of the composite hydrogels were examined. Biological assess was performed through WST-1 Assay by using Synovium-derived Mesenchymal Cells (SMSCs). According to the results, adjustable physicochemical properties can be obtained through simply altering the ratio of Odex and gelatin. Moreover, with the increase of incorporated gelatin, better biocompatibility was shown in the composite hydrogels, which exhibited its potentially high application prospect in the field of cartilage tissue engineering.