Tailoring the properties of extracellular matrix (ECM) based hydrogels by conjugating with synthetic polymers is an emerging method for designing hybridhydrogels for a wide range of tissue engineering applications. In this study, poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA), a synthetic polymer at variable concentrations (ranging from 0.2 to 2% wt/vol) was conjugated with porcine cholecyst derived ECM (C‐ECM) (1% wt/vol) and prepared a biosynthetic hydrogel having enhanced physico‐mechanical properties, as required for skeletal muscle tissue engineering. The C‐ECM was functionalized with acrylate groups using activated N‐hydroxysuccinimide ester‐based chemistry and then conjugated with PEGDA via free‐radical polymerization in presence of ammonium persulfate and ascorbic acid. The physicochemical characteristics of the hydrogels were evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and environmental scanning electron microscopy. Further, the hydrogel properties were studied by evaluating rheology, swelling, gelation time, percentage gel fraction, in vitro degradation, and mechanical strength. Biocompatibility of the gel formulations were assessed using the C2C12 skeletal myoblast cells. The hydrogel formulations containing 0.2 and 0.5% wt/vol of PEGDA were non‐cytotoxic and found suitable for growth and proliferation of skeletal myoblasts. The study demonstrated a method for modulating the properties of ECM hydrogels through conjugation with bio‐inert polymers for skeletal muscle tissue engineering applications.

Compromised angiogenesis is a major factor contributing delayed wound healing in diabetic patients. Graftassisted healing using synthetic and natural scaffolds supplemented with micromolecules for stimulating angiogenesis is the contemporary tissue engineering strategy for treating diabetic wounds. This study deployed the carbodiimide chemical reaction for coupling gelatin with a porcine cholecyst-derived scaffold (CDS) for enhancing angiogenesis. The modification was confirmed by the trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid assay and scanning electron microscopy. The gelatin-coupled CDS was more stable than the bare CDS in an in vitro proteolytic environment and allowed survival of keratinocytes (HaCaT), indicating its suitability for chronic skin wound application. The gelatin coupling brought significant improvement in the in vitro angiogenic potential of the CDS as evident from the enhanced viability of endothelial cells. An in ovo chorioallantoic membrane assay also demonstrated the angiogenic potential of the modified scaffold. Further, the modified scaffold promoted angiogenesis and aided faster healing of full-thickness excision wounds in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. It is concluded that the gelatin-coupled CDS is a potential advanced wound care material for treating diabetic wounds.

Polypropylene (PP) meshes are widely used for repairing skeletal muscle defects like abdominal hernia despite the chances of undesirable pro-inflammatory tissue reactions that demand revision surgeries in about 45% of cases. Attempts have been made to address the problem by modifying the mesh surface and architecture. These procedures have yielded only incremental improvements in the management of overall postoperative complications, and the search for a clinically viable therapeutic strategy continues. This study deployed a tissue engineering approach for mitigating PP-induced adverse tissue reaction by dip-coating the mesh with a hydrogel formulation of the porcine cholecystic extracellular matrix (CECM). The biomaterial properties of the CECM hydrogel-coated PP (C-PP) meshes were studied and their biocompatibility was evaluated by in vitro and in vivo tests based on ISO standards. Further, the nature of tissue reactions induced by the hydrogel-coated mesh and a commercial PP hernia repair graft was compared in a rat model of partial-thickness abdominal wall defect. Histomorphologically, in comparison with the PP graft-induced tissue reaction, C-PP caused a favorable graft-acceptance response characterized by reduced numbers of pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages and cytotoxic lymphocytes. Remarkably, the differential inflammatory response of the C-PP graft-assisted healing was associated with a fibrotic reaction predominated by deposition of type I collagen rather than type III collagen, as desired during skeletal muscle repair. It was concluded that the CECM hydrogel is a potential biomaterial for surface modification of polymeric biomedical devices.

Cardiac tissue engineering using cells, scaffolds or signaling molecules is a promising approach for replacement or repair of damaged myocardium. This study addressed the contemporary need for a conductive biomimetic nanocomposite scaffold for cardiac tissue engineering by examining the use of a gold nanoparticle-incorporated porcine cholecystic extracellular matrix for the same. The scaffold had an electrical