Hyaluronic Acid Macromer Concentration Influences Functional MSC Chondrogenesis in Photocrosslinked MSC-Laden Hydrogels

Intrinsic repair of articular cartilage is poor, and so numerous tissue engineering strategies have been developed for producing functional cartilage replacements. Photopolymerizable methacrylated hyaluronic acid (MeHA) hydrogels have been developed as a potential hydrogel that possesses the distinct advantage of being biologically relevant as well as easily modified to generate a range of hydrogel properties [1]. To date, optimization of this hydrogel has been carried out by adjusting macromer molecular weight, concentration, and extent of methacrylation. Recent studies using MeHA hydrogels with auricular chondrocytes have shown that adjustments in these parameters can have significant impact on cell viability and construct maturation. [1, 2].