Dextran-based hydrogel formed by thiol-Michael addition reaction for 3D cell encapsulation

- A novel in situ-forming hydrogel, Dex-l-DTT hydrogel (“l” means “linked-by”) is developed under physiological conditions using thiol-Michael addition reaction.
- The mechanical properties, gelation process and degree of swelling of the hydrogels can be easily adjusted by changing the pH of phosphate buffer saline.
- Rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and NIH/3T3 fibroblasts are successfully encapsulated into the in situ-forming hydrogel and both of them remain high viability.
- As one kind of stem cell, the encapsulated BMSCs can not only remain viable, but also maintain their differentiation potential.
- With tunable mechanical properties and good cell encapsulation ability, the Dex-l-DTT hydrogel holds great potential for biomedical field.