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Research over the past decade on the cell–biomaterial interface has shifted to the third dimension. Besides mimicking the native extracellular environment by 3D cell culture, hydrogels offer the possibility to generate well-defined 3D biofabricated tissue analogs. In this context, gelatin-methacryloyl (gelMA) hydrogels have recently gained increased attention. This interest is sparked by the combination of the inherent bioactivity of gelatin and the physicochemical tailorability of photo-crosslinkable hydrogels. GelMA is a versatile matrix that can be used to engineer tissue analogs ranging from vasculature to cartilage and bone. Convergence of biological and biofabrication approaches is necessary to progress from merely proving cell functionality or construct shape fidelity towards regenerating tissues. GelMA has a critical pioneering role in this process and could be used to accelerate the development of clinically relevant applications. In gelMA hydrogels, the inherent bioactivity of gelatin is combined with the tailorability of photo-crosslinking. 3D-generated tissue analogs need to be geometrically natural mimics that are biofunctionally and mechanically stable. GelMA will accelerate the development of cell-laden biofabricated constructs and will have a pioneering role in their translation to clinically relevant applications.

Bone is a highly vascularized tissue with a unique and complex structure. Long bone consists of a peripheral cortical shell containing a network of channels for vascular penetration and an inner highly vascularized bone marrow space. Bioprinting is a powerful tool to enable rapid and precise spatial patterning of cells and biomaterials. Here we developed a two-step digital light processing technique to fabricate a bone-mimetic 3D hydrogel construct based on octacalcium phosphate (OCP), spheroids of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), and gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) hydrogels. The bone-mimetic 3D hydrogel construct was designed to consist of a peripheral OCP-containing GelMA ring to mimic the cortical shell, and a central GelMA ring containing HUVEC spheroids to mimic the bone marrow space. We further demonstrate that OCP, which is evenly embedded in the GelMA, stimulates the osteoblastic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. We refined the design of a spheroid culture device to facilitate the rapid formation of a large number of HUVEC spheroids, which were embedded into different concentrations of GelMA hydrogels. It is shown that the concentration of GelMA modulates the extent of formation of the capillary-like structures originating from the HUVEC spheroids. This cell-loaded hydrogel-based bone construct with a biomimetic dual ring structure can be potentially used for bone tissue engineering.

This study reports the development of a novel and simple formulation for probiotic delivery using chitosan-coated agar-gelatin gel particles. This methodology involves the production of agar-gelatin particles by thermally treating a mixture of agar and gelatin solutions at high temperatures (121 °C) and subsequently coating with chitosan. The particles were able to protect the probiotic strain Lactobacillus plantarum NCIMB 8826 during incubation for 2 h in simulated gastric fluid (pH 2), as no statistically significant loss (P > 0.05) in cell concentration was observed, and also resist dissolution in simulated intestinal fluid (pH 7.2). Interestingly, this protection is related to the fact that the intense thermal treatment affected the physicochemical properties of agars and resulted in the formation of a strong and tight polymer network, as indicated by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Using an in vitro faecal batch fermentation model simulating the conditions of the distal part of the large intestine (pH 6.7–6.9), it was demonstrated by quantitative real-time PCR that the majority of L. plantarum cells were released from the agar-gelatin particles within 30 to 48 h. Overall, this work led to the development of a novel methodology for the production of probiotic-containing particles, which is simpler compared with current encapsulation technologies and has a lot of potential to be used for the controlled release of probiotics and potentially other solid bioactives in the large intestine.Key Points• Chitosan gel particles is a simple and scalable method of probiotic encapsulation.• Autoclaving agar-gelatin particles increases their stability at low pH.• Chitosan gel particles protected L. plantarum during gastrointestinal conditions.• Probiotics could be controlled release in the colon using chitosan gel particles.

Objectives In patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) undergoing unilateral biportal endoscopic unilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression (UBE‐ULBD), damage to the epidural venous plexus often leads to bleeding, increasing the risk of surgical complications. Surgiflo Hemostatic Matrix (SHM) is a gelatin extracted from porcine skin, used for intraoperative hemostasis. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of using SHM during UBE‐ULBD surgery. Methods From October 2023 to July 2024, a total of 96 patients with LSS underwent UBE‐ULBD surgery. These 96 patients were randomly divided into two groups: the SHM group (48 patients, using flowable gelatin) and the non‐SHM group (48 patients, not using flowable gelatin). The primary outcomes included intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage volume, and the 3‐min hemostasis success rate. Secondary outcomes included symptomatic postoperative epidural hematoma (SPEH), surgical time, postoperative hospital stay, hospitalization costs, and complications. We used independent sample t‐tests to compare continuous data, and chi‐square tests or Fisher's exact tests to analyze categorical data. Results The intraoperative blood loss and postoperative drainage volume in the SHM group were significantly less than those in the non‐SHM group (p < 0.05), and the 3‐min hemostasis success rate in the SHM group was significantly higher than that in the non‐SHM group (p < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups regarding SPEH, postoperative hospital stay, hospitalization costs, and complications such as thrombosis formation and allergic reactions. However, the surgical time in the SHM group was significantly shorter than that in the non‐SHM group (p < 0.05). Conclusion When patients with LSS undergo UBE‐ULBD, the use of fluid gelatin can effectively reduce intraoperative and postoperative bleeding without introducing additional complications. The 96 patients were randomly assigned to two groups: the Surgiflo Hemostatic Matrix (SHM) group and the non‐SHM group. The use of fluid gelatin effectively reduces intraoperative and postoperative bleeding without leading to additional complications.

Gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) is a versatile material for a wide range of bioapplications. There is an intense interest in developing effective chemical strategies to prepare GelMA with a high degree of batch-to-batch consistency and controllability in terms of methacryloyl functionalization and physiochemical properties. Herein, we systematically investigated the batch-to-batch reproducibility and controllability of producing GelMA (target highly and lowly substituted versions) via a one-pot strategy. To assess the GelMA product, several parameters were evaluated, including the degree of methacryloylation, secondary structure, and enzymatic degradation, along with the mechanical properties and cell viability of GelMA hydrogels. The results showed that two types of target GelMA with five batches exhibited a high degree of controllability and reproducibility in compositional, structural, and functional properties owing to the highly controllable one-pot strategy.

Environmentally friendly packaging is becoming more popular as the number of companies implementing more sustainable solutions continues to increase, and consumers become more aware and choose more environmentally friendly options. However, not all environmentally friendly packaging meets all desirable properties, as some are only partially made of renewable raw materials or degrade over a long period of time. Bioplastics constructed from blends of gelatine and starch are solely made from renewable raw materials. Combined with relatively short degradation times, these materials have the potential to replace currently used, non-biodegradable film and single-use plastics. However, despite these advantages, further research is required to identify the best combination of raw materials, selectively and collectively, and to then optimise the appropriate physicochemical properties of the resultant bioplastics. In this study, gelatine from different sources (piscine, porcine, bovine) combined with potato starch was used to generate home-compostable bioplastics. These bioplastics were assessed in terms of water solubility, water content, opacity, surface roughness, and key mechanical properties such as tensile strength. Significant differences were found, particularly for piscine gelatine blends. It was concluded that piscine gelatine is a promising protein with highly relevant properties for the bioplastics industry.

Additive manufacturing promises enormous geometrical freedom and the potential to combine materials for complex functions. The speed, geometry, and surface quality limitations of additive processes are linked to their reliance on material layering. We demonstrated concurrent printing of all points within a three-dimensional object by illuminating a rotating volume of photosensitive material with a dynamically evolving light pattern. We printed features as small as 0.3 millimeters in engineering acrylate polymers and printed soft structures with exceptionally smooth surfaces into a gelatin methacrylate hydrogel. Our process enables us to construct components that encase other preexisting solid objects, allowing for multimaterial fabrication. We developed models to describe speed and spatial resolution capabilities and demonstrated printing times of 30 to 120 seconds for diverse centimeter-scale objects.

While tissue simulants are considered best practice for ballistic evaluations, there is an ongoing debate about the use of tissue simulant and their relevance and there are calls to improve models by making them more anatomically relevant by the introduction of bony structures and organs. Therefore; the aim of this study was to try and determine if sponges and/or ballistic gelatin may be a suitable proxy to porcine lungs using 5.56x45mm (MK262-MOD1). Four sample groups consisting of 10% ballistic gelatin blocks, lungs embedded in gelatin, kitchen sponges and car sponge in gelatin were evaluated. Analysis included determining the onset of yaw, time from impact to the onset of yaw, temporary and permanent cavity characteristics and energy deposition. The results indicated that the kitchen sponge and car sponge may be a suitable proxy to porcine lungs, however there were significant differences between the lung model and plain gelatin blocks and additional work should be carried out to investigate the suitability of sponges as a proxy to porcine lungs further.

Animal glues have been used since antiquity, but their popularity decreased in the twentieth century with the rise of synthetic adhesives. Currently they are primarily used in restoration of works of art. This study focuses on animal glue samples derived from bone and hide tissues used mainly for veiling and carpentry applications, examining their secondary structure, thermal and rheological properties, to shed light into their adhesive behaviour. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry highlight differences between hide and bone glues, showing that the latter are more hydrolysed. The calorimetric curves show varying values of denaturation enthalpy thus indicating a varying degree of gelatine renaturation. Additionally, the calorimetric analysis demonstrates the physical ageing of the glue samples, which is known to play a key role in maintaining their adhesive properties under specific storage conditions. The rheological data provide fundamental information on properties which are relevant for the use of animal glues as adhesives in various applications. XRD data suggest a low structural order in the samples investigated, where the amorphous component complicates the univocal interpretation of the spectra. FTIR reveal a relatively high content of β-structures in all commercial glue samples, as well as gelatine and collagen standards. Moreover, spectra of the glue films dried for 1 week show that the β-structures are recovered following dissolution in water and application. Therefore, β-structures seem crucial to explain the structure-dependent mechanical properties observed.

One-layer wound dressings cannot meet all the clinical needs due to their individual characteristics and shortcomings. Therefore, bilayer wound dressings which are composed of two layers with different properties have gained lots of attention. In the present study, polycaprolactone/gelatin (PCL/Gel) scaffold was electrospun on a dense membrane composed of polyurethane and ethanolic extract of propolis (PU/EEP). The PU/EEP membrane was used as the top layer to protect the wound area from external contamination and dehydration, while the PCL/Gel scaffold was used as the sublayer to facilitate cells’ adhesion and proliferation. The bilayer wound dressing was investigated regarding its microstructure, mechanical properties, surface wettability, anti-bacterial activity, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and its efficacy in the animal wound model and histopathological analyzes. Scanning electron micrographs exhibited uniform morphology and bead-free structure of the PCL/Gel scaffold with average fibers’ diameter of 237.3 ± 65.1 nm. Significant anti-bacterial activity was observed against Staphylococcal aureus (5.4 ± 0.3 mm), Escherichia coli (1.9 ± 0.4 mm) and Staphylococcus epidermidis (1.0 ± 0.2 mm) according to inhibition zone test. The bilayer wound dressing exhibited high hydrophilicity (51.1 ± 4.9°), biodegradability, and biocompatibility. The bilayer wound dressing could significantly accelerate the wound closure and collagen deposition in the Wistar rats’ skin wound model. Taking together, the PU/EEP-PCL/Gel bilayer wound dressing can be a potential candidate for biomedical applications due to remarkable mechanical properties, biocompatibility, antibacterial features, and wound healing activities.