Assessment of the characteristics and biocompatibility of gelatin sponge scaffolds prepared by various crosslinking methods

Abstract This comparative study aims to identify a biocompatible and effective crosslinker for preparing gelatin sponges. Glutaraldehyde (GTA), genipin (GP), 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyl aminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC), and microbial transglutaminase (mTG) were used as crosslinking agents. The physical properties of the prepared samples were characterized, and material degradation was studied in vitro with various proteases and in vivo through subcutaneous implantation of the sponges in rats. Adipose-derived stromal stem cells (ADSCs) were cultured and inoculated onto the scaffolds to compare the cellular biocompatibility of the sponges. Cellular seeding efficiency and digestion time of the sponges were also evaluated. Cellular viability and proliferation in scaffolds were analyzed by fluorescence staining and MTT assay. All the samples exhibited high porosity, good swelling ratio, and hydrolysis properties; however, material strength, hydrolysis, and enzymolytic properties varied among the samples. GTA–sponge and GP–sponge possessed high compressive moduli, and EDC–sponge exhibited fast degradation performance. GTA and GP sponge implants exerted strong in vivo rejections, and the former showed poor cell growth. mTG–sponge exhibited the optimal comprehensive performance, with good porosity, compressive modulus, anti-degradation ability, and good biocompatibility. Hence, mTG–sponge can be used as a scaffold material for tissue engineering applications.