Sustained Release of Human Adipose Tissue Stem Cell Secretome from Star-Shaped Poly(ethylene glycol) Glycosaminoglycan Hydrogels Promotes Motor Improvements after Complete Transection in Spinal Cord Injury Rat Model.

Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) have been shown to assist regenerative processes after spinal cord injury (SCI) through their secretome, which promotes several regenerative mechanisms, such as inducing axonal growth, reducing inflammation, promoting cell survival, and vascular remodeling, thus ultimately leading to functional recovery. However, while systemic delivery (e.g., i.v. [intravenous]) may cause off-target effects in different organs, the local administration has low efficiency due to fast clearance by body fluids. Herein, a delivery system for human ASCs secretome based on a hydrogel formed of star-shaped poly(ethylene glycol) (starPEG) and the glycosaminoglycan heparin (Hep) that is suitable to continuously release pro-regenerative signaling mediators such as interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, glial-cell neurotrophic factor, and beta-nerve growth factor over 10 days, is reported. The released secretome is shown to induce differentiation of human neural progenitor cells and neurite outgrowth in organotypic spinal cord slices. In a complete transection SCI rat model, the secretome-loaded hydrogel significantly improves motor function by reducing the percentage of ameboid microglia and systemically elevates levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines. Delivery of ASC-derived secretome from starPEG-Hep hydrogels may therefore offer unprecedented options for regenerative therapy of SCI.

Mussel-Inspired Catechol Functionalisation as a Strategy to Enhance Biomaterial Adhesion: A Systematic Review.

Biomaterials have long been explored in regenerative medicine strategies for the repair or replacement of damaged organs and tissues, due to their biocompatibility, versatile physicochemical properties and tuneable mechanical cues capable of matching those of native tissues. However, poor adhesion under wet conditions (such as those found in tissues) has thus far limited their wider application. Indeed, despite its favourable physicochemical properties, facile gelation and biocompatibility, gellan gum (GG)-based hydrogels lack the tissue adhesiveness required for effective clinical use. Aiming at assessing whether substitution of GG by dopamine (DA) could be a suitable approach to overcome this problem, database searches were conducted on PubMed® and Embase® up to 2 March 2021, for studies using biomaterials covalently modified with a catechol-containing substituent conferring improved adhesion properties. In this regard, a total of 47 reports (out of 700 manuscripts, ~6.7%) were found to comply with the search/selection criteria, the majority of which (34/47, ~72%) were describing the modification of natural polymers, such as chitosan (11/47, ~23%) and hyaluronic acid (6/47, ~13%); conjugation of dopamine (as catechol "donor") via carbodiimide coupling chemistry was also predominant. Importantly, modification with DA did not impact the biocompatibility and mechanical properties of the biomaterials and resulting hydrogels. Overall, there is ample evidence in the literature that the bioinspired substitution of polymers of natural and synthetic origin by DA or other catechol moieties greatly improves adhesion to biological tissues (and other inorganic surfaces).

Mesenchymal stem cell secretome protects against alpha-synuclein-induced neurodegeneration in a Caenorhabditis elegans model of Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND AIMS: The capacity of the secretome from bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) to prevent dopaminergic neuron degeneration caused by overexpression of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) was explored using two Caenorhabditis elegans models of Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS: First, a more predictive model of PD that overexpresses α-syn in dopamine neurons was subjected to chronic treatment with secretome. This strain displays progressive dopaminergic neurodegeneration that is age-dependent. Following chronic treatment with secretome, the number of intact dopaminergic neurons was determined. Following these initial experiments, a C. elegans strain that overexpresses α-syn in body wall muscle cells was used to determine the impact of hBMSC secretome on α-syn inclusions. Lastly, in silico analysis of the components that constitute the secretome was performed. RESULTS: The human BMSC (hBMSC) secretome induced a neuroprotective effect, leading to reduced dopaminergic neurodegeneration. Moreover, in animals submitted to chronic treatment with secretome, the number of α-syn inclusions was reduced, indicating that the secretome of MSCs was possibly contributing to the degradation of those structures. In silico analysis identified possible suppressors of α-syn proteotoxicity, including growth factors and players in the neuronal protein quality control mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings indicate that hBMSC secretome has the potential to be used as a disease-modifying strategy in future PD regenerative medicine approaches.

In vitro Evaluation of ASCs and HUVECs Co-cultures in 3D Biodegradable Hydrogels on Neurite Outgrowth and Vascular Organization.

Vascular disruption following spinal cord injury (SCI) decisively contributes to the poor functional recovery prognosis facing patients with the condition. Using a previously developed gellan gum hydrogel to which the adhesion motif GRGDS was grafted (GG-GRGDS), this work aimed to understand the ability of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) to impact vascular organization of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), and how this in turn affects neurite outgrowth of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) explants. Our data shows that culturing these cells together lead to a synergistic effect as showed by increased stimulation of neuritogenesis on DRG. Importantly, HUVECs were only able to assemble into vascular-like structures when cultured in the presence of ASCs, which shows the capacity of these cells in reorganizing the vascular milieu. Analysis of selected neuroregulatory molecules showed that the co-culture upregulated the secretion of several neurotrophic factors. On the other hand, ASCs, and ASCs + HUVECs presented a similar profile regarding the presence of angiotrophic molecules herein analyzed. Finally, the implantation of GG-GRGDS hydrogels encapsulating ASCs in the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) lead to increases in vascular recruitment toward the hydrogels in comparison to GG-GRGDS alone. This indicates that the combination of ASCs with GG-GRGDS hydrogels could promote re-vascularization in trauma-related injuries in the central nervous system and thus control disease progression and induce functional recovery.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of a bioinspired, tissue-adhesive gellan gum-based hydrogel designed for minimally invasive delivery and retention of chondrogenic cells.

A dopamine-modified, bioinspired gellan gum hydrogel (STM-148B) with improved physicochemical and biological characteristics, suitable for minimally invasive cell delivery and retention in the context of cartilage repair, is herein presented. STM-148B's putative game-changing design characteristics include a highly biocompatible, animal-free and chemically defined composition, reproducibility of manufacture and ease of formulation. STM-148B undergoes rapid ionic crossinking by physiologically relevant mono and divalent cations to form stable 3D hydrogels that possess excellent tissue adhesiveness, such that additional fixation aids are rendered superfluous. STM-148B hydrogels maintain viability of mammalian cells and further promote up-regulation of the expression of healthy chondrogenic extracellular matrix markers upon stimulation. STM-148B is currently undergoing pre-clinical safety and efficacy assessment as a medical device for cell delivery and retention focussing on regeneration of hyaline-like cartilage and may represent a valuable addition to the armamentarium of tissue-engineering therapies for treatment of focal cartilage lesions.

Impact of Aging on the 6-OHDA-Induced Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder. The neurodegeneration leading to incapacitating motor abnormalities mainly occurs in the nigrostriatal pathway due to the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Several animal models have been developed not only to better understand the mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration but also to test the potential of emerging disease-modifying therapies. However, despite aging being the main risk factor for developing idiopathic PD, most of the studies do not use aged animals. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing the effect of aging in the unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced animal model of PD. For this, female young adult and aged rats received a unilateral injection of 6-OHDA into the medial forebrain bundle. Subsequently, the impact of aging on 6-OHDA-induced effects on animal welfare, motor performance, and nigrostriatal integrity were assessed. The results showed that aging had a negative impact on animal welfare after surgery. Furthermore, 6-OHDA-induced impairments on skilled motor function were significantly higher in aged rats when compared with their younger counterparts. Nigrostriatal histological analysis further revealed an increased 6-OHDA-induced dopaminergic cell loss in the SNpc of aged animals when compared to young animals. Overall, our results demonstrate a higher susceptibility of aged animals to 6-OHDA toxic insult.

Enhanced microfracture using acellular scaffolds improves results after treatment of symptomatic focal grade III/IV knee cartilage lesions but current clinical evidence does not allow unequivocal recommendation.

PURPOSE: To systematically analyse post-operative outcomes following enhanced microfracture procedures in focal cartilage injuries of the knee. METHODS: Database searches were conducted in PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases up to 30 November 2018, for clinical studies in humans that assessed surgical outcomes of enhanced microfracture procedures in focal cartilage injuries of the knee. The clinical, functional and imaging outcomes were assessed and summarized. The MINORS scale was used to assess the methodological quality of the studies included. RESULTS: Ten studies were included comprising a total of 331 patients (mean age of 37.0 ± 5.5 years, body mass 25.2 ± 1.7 kg m2, 56% male and 42% left knee), 278 femoral condyle chondral defects (147 medial, 35 lateral and 78 undefined) and 43 chondral defects distributed by the tibial plateau, patella and femoral trochlea. The chondral defects were mostly Outerbridge grade III or IV and the mean defect size was 3.2 ± 0.6 cm2. Studies consistently demonstrated significant improvement in the patient-reported outcome measures from baseline to final follow-up. Overall, imaging outcomes showed inconsistent results. Treatment-related adverse events were poorly reported. CONCLUSION: Enhanced microfracture techniques significantly result in improved patient-reported outcome measures over the MCID, but provide inconsistent imaging results. Current clinical evidence does not allow for unequivocal recommendation of enhanced microfracture to treat symptomatic focal grade III/IV knee cartilage lesions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Hydrogel-based magnetoelectric microenvironments for tissue stimulation.

The development of strategies to mimic the natural environment of tissues with engineered scaffolds remains one of the biggest challenges of tissue engineering. Hydrogels appear as suitable materials for this purpose due to their substantial water content, biocompatibility, and for being able to carry nanomaterials that introduce new functionalities to the hydrogel. The incorporation of magnetically responsive and, in particular, magnetoelectric materials into the hydrogel-based scaffolds are a promising approach for bone tissue engineering applications once it can promote not only tissue regeneration through magnetic to mechanic to electrical conversion/stimuli but also the external control of the scaffold by the application of magnetic fields. This work reports on a new CoFe2O4/ Methacrylated Gellan Gum (GGMA)/poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) hydrogel-based scaffold with 20 kPa Young's modulus and cell viability superior to 80%. The ≈ 1 µm thick PVDF/CoFe2O4 spheres added to GGMA gel (2 wt.%) exhibit 20 emu.g-1 magnetization saturation, 2.7 kOe magnetic coercivity and ß-phase contents ≈ 78%, leading to a piezoelectric response |d33| of ≈ 22 pC N-1 and a magnetoelectric response of Δ|d33| ≈ 6 pC N-1 at a DC magnetic field of 220 m T, as verified for the CoFe2O4/PVDF spheres with 20 wt.% filler content. Such characteristics allow novel tissue regeneration strategies approaches once CoFe2O4/GGMA/PVDF has a porous 3-D structure, biocompatibility, bioresorbability, and mechanical/electrical dynamic responses that can be triggered by an applied external magnetic field.

Supercritical CO2 technology: The next standard sterilization technique?

Sterilization of implantable medical devices is of most importance to avoid surgery related complications such as infection and rejection. Advances in biotechnology fields, such as tissue engineering, have led to the development of more sophisticated and complex biomedical devices that are often composed of natural biomaterials. This complexity poses a challenge to current sterilization techniques which frequently damage materials upon sterilization. The need for an effective alternative has driven research on supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) technology. This technology is characterized by using low temperatures and for being inert and non-toxic. The herein presented paper reviews the most relevant studies over the last 15 years which cover the use of scCO2 for sterilization and in which effective terminal sterilization is reported. The major topics discussed here are: microorganisms effectively sterilized by scCO2, inactivation mechanisms, operating parameters, materials sterilized by scCO2 and major requirements for validation of such technique according to medical devices' standards.

In vitro and in vivo performance of methacrylated gellan gum hydrogel formulations for cartilage repair.

Methacrylated gellan gum (GGMA) formulation is proposed as a second-generation hydrogel for controlled delivery of cartilage-forming cells into focal chondral lesions, allowing immediate in situ retention of cells and 3D filling of lesion volume, such approach deemed compatible with an arthroscopic procedure. Formulation optimization was carried out in vitro using chondrocytes and adipose mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (ASCs). A proof-of-concept in vivo study was conducted using a rabbit model with induced chondral lesions. Outcomes were compared with microfracture or non-treated control. Three grading scores were used to evaluate tissue repair after 8 weeks by macroscopic, histological and immunohistochemical analysis. Intense collagen type II and low collagen type I gene and protein expression were achieved in vitro by the ASC + GGMA formulation, in light with development of healthy chondral tissue. In vivo, this formulation promoted significantly superior de novo cartilage formation compared with the non-treated group. Maintenance of chondral height and integration with native tissue was further accomplished. The physicochemical properties of the proposed GGMA hydrogel exhibited highly favorable characteristics and biological performance both in vitro and in vivo, positioning itself as an attractive xeno-free biomaterial to be used with chondrogenic cells for a cost-effective treatment of focal chondral lesions. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 1987-1996, 2018.

The Role of Biomaterials as Angiogenic Modulators of Spinal Cord Injury: Mimetics of the Spinal Cord, Cell and Angiogenic Factor Delivery Agents.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) represents an extremely debilitating condition for which no efficacious treatment is available. One of the main contributors to the inhospitable environment found in SCI is the vascular disruption that happens at the moment of injury that compromises the blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) and triggers a cascade of events that includes infiltration of inflammatory cells, ischemia and intraparenchymal hemorrhage. Due to the unsatisfactory nature of revascularization following SCI, restoring vascular perfusion and the BSCB seems an interesting way of modulating the lesion environment into a regenerative phenotype, with a potential increase in functional recovery. Certain biomaterials possess interesting features to enhance SCI therapies, and in fact have been applied as angiogenic promoters in other pathologies. The present mini-review intends to highlight the contribution that biomaterials could make in the development of novel therapeutic solutions able to restore proper vascularization and the BSCB.

αvß3 and α5ß1 integrin-specific ligands: From tumor angiogenesis inhibitors to vascularization promoters in regenerative medicine?

Integrins are cell adhesion receptors predominantly important during normal and tumor angiogenesis. A sequence present on several extracellular matrix proteins composed of Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) has attracted attention due to its role in cell adhesion mediated by integrins. The development of ligands that can bind to integrins involved in tumor angiogenesis and brake disease progression has resulted in new investigational drug entities reaching the clinical trial phase in humans. The use of integrin-specific ligands can be useful for the vascularization of regenerative medicine constructs, which remains a major limitation for translation into clinical practice. In order to enhance vascularization, immobilization of integrin-specific RGD peptidomimetics within constructs is a recommended approach, due to their high specificity and selectivity towards certain desired integrins. This review endeavours to address the potential of peptidomimetic-coated biomaterials as vascular network promoters for regenerative medicine purposes. Clinical studies involving molecules tracking active integrins in cancer angiogenesis and reasons for their failure are also addressed.

Silk-based anisotropical 3D biotextiles for bone regeneration.

Bone loss in the craniofacial complex can been treated using several conventional therapeutic strategies that face many obstacles and limitations. In this work, novel three-dimensional (3D) biotextile architectures were developed as a possible strategy for flat bone regeneration applications. As a fully automated processing route, this strategy as potential to be easily industrialized. Silk fibroin (SF) yarns were processed into weft-knitted fabrics spaced by a monofilament of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). A comparative study with a similar 3D structure made entirely of PET was established. Highly porous scaffolds with homogeneous pore distribution were observed using micro-computed tomography analysis. The wet state dynamic mechanical analysis revealed a storage modulus In the frequency range tested, the storage modulus values obtained for SF-PET scaffolds were higher than for the PET scaffolds. Human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) cultured on the SF-PET spacer structures showed the typical pattern for ALP activity under osteogenic culture conditions. Osteogenic differentiation of hASCs on SF-PET and PET constructs was also observed by extracellular matrix mineralization and expression of osteogenic-related markers (osteocalcin, osteopontin and collagen type I) after 28 days of osteogenic culture, in comparison to the control basal medium. The quantification of convergent macroscopic blood vessels toward the scaffolds by a chick chorioallantoic membrane assay, showed higher angiogenic response induced by the SF-PET textile scaffolds than PET structures and gelatin sponge controls. Subcutaneous implantation in CD-1 mice revealed tissue ingrowth's accompanied by blood vessels infiltration in both spacer constructs. The structural adaptability of textile structures combined to the structural similarities of the 3D knitted spacer fabrics to craniofacial bone tissue and achieved biological performance, make these scaffolds a possible solution for tissue engineering approaches in this area.

Modulating cell adhesion to polybutylene succinate biotextile constructs for tissue engineering applications.

Textile-based technologies are powerful routes for the production of three-dimensional porous architectures for tissue engineering applications because of their feasibility and possibility for scaling-up. Herein, the use of knitting technology to produce polybutylene succinate fibre-based porous architectures is described. Furthermore, different treatments have been applied to functionalize the surface of the scaffolds developed: sodium hydroxide etching, ultraviolet radiation exposure in an ozone atmosphere and grafting (acrylic acid, vinyl phosphonic acid and vinyl sulphonic acid) after oxygen plasma activation as a way to tailor cell adhesion. A possible effect of the applied treatments on the bulk properties of the textile scaffolds has been considered and thus tensile tests in dry and hydrated states were also carried out. The microscopy results indicated that the surface morphology and roughness were affected by the applied treatments. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and contact angle measurements showed the incorporation of oxygen-containing groups and higher surface free energy as result of the surface treatments applied. The DNA quantification and scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that these modifications enhanced cell adhesion and altered cell morphology. Generally, sodium hydroxide treatment altered most significantly the surface properties, which in turn resulted in a high number of cells adherent to these surfaces. Based on the results obtained, the proposed surface treatments are appropriate to modify polybutylene succinate knitting scaffolds, influencing cell adhesion and its potential for use in tissue engineering applications. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Tumor Growth Suppression Induced by Biomimetic Silk Fibroin Hydrogels.

Protein-based hydrogels with distinct conformations which enable encapsulation or differentiation of cells are of great interest in 3D cancer research models. Conformational changes may cause macroscopic shifts in the hydrogels, allowing for its use as biosensors and drug carriers. In depth knowledge on how 3D conformational changes in proteins may affect cell fate and tumor formation is required. Thus, this study reports an enzymatically crosslinked silk fibroin (SF) hydrogel system that can undergo intrinsic conformation changes from random coil to ß-sheet conformation. In random coil status, the SF hydrogels are transparent, elastic, and present ionic strength and pH stimuli-responses. The random coil hydrogels become ß-sheet conformation after 10 days in vitro incubation and 14 days in vivo subcutaneous implantation in rat. When encapsulated with ATDC-5 cells, the random coil SF hydrogel promotes cell survival up to 7 days, whereas the subsequent ß-sheet transition induces cell apoptosis in vitro. HeLa cells are further incorporated in SF hydrogels and the constructs are investigated in vitro and in an in vivo chick chorioallantoic membrane model for tumor formation. In vivo, Angiogenesis and tumor formation are suppressed in SF hydrogels. Therefore, these hydrogels provide new insights for cancer research and uses of biomaterials.

Influence of different surface modification treatments on silk biotextiles for tissue engineering applications.

Biotextile structures from silk fibroin have demonstrated to be particularly interesting for tissue engineering (TE) applications due to their high mechanical strength, interconnectivity, porosity, and ability to degrade under physiological conditions. In this work, we described several surface treatments of knitted silk fibroin (SF) scaffolds, namely sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution, ultraviolet radiation exposure in an ozone atmosphere (UV/O3) and oxygen (O2) plasma treatment followed by acrylic acid (AAc), vinyl phosphonic acid (VPA), and vinyl sulfonic acid (VSA) immersion. The effect of these treatments on the mechanical properties of the textile constructs was evaluated by tensile tests in dry and hydrated states. Surface properties such as morphology, topography, wettability and elemental composition were also affected by the applied treatments. The in vitro biological behavior of L929 fibroblasts revealed that cells were able to adhere and spread both on the untreated and surface-modified textile constructs. The applied treatments had different effects on the scaffolds' surface properties, confirming that these modifications can be considered as useful techniques to modulate the surface of biomaterials according to the targeted application.

Hierarchical scaffolds enhance osteogenic differentiation of human Wharton's jelly derived stem cells.

Hierarchical structures, constituted by polymeric nano and microfibers, have been considered promising scaffolds for tissue engineering strategies, mainly because they mimic, in some way, the complexity and nanoscale detail observed in real organs. The chondrogenic potential of these scaffolds has been previously demonstrated, but their osteogenic potential is not yet corroborated. In order to assess if a hierarchical structure, with nanoscale details incorporated, is an improved scaffold for bone tissue regeneration, we evaluate cell adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation of human Wharton's jelly derived stem cells (hWJSCs), seeded into hierarchical fibrous scaffolds. Biological data corroborates that hierarchical fibrous scaffolds show an enhanced cell entrapment when compared to rapid prototyped scaffolds without nanofibers. Furthermore, upregulation of bone specific genes and calcium phosphate deposition confirms the successful osteogenic differentiation of hWJSCs on these scaffolds. These results support our hypothesis that a scaffold with hierarchical structure, in conjugation with hWJSCs, represents a possible feasible strategy for bone tissue engineering applications.

Bilayered silk/silk-nanoCaP scaffolds for osteochondral tissue engineering: In vitro and in vivo assessment of biological performance.

Novel porous bilayered scaffolds, fully integrating a silk fibroin (SF) layer and a silk-nano calcium phosphate (silk-nanoCaP) layer for osteochondral defect (OCD) regeneration, were developed. Homogeneous porosity distribution was achieved in the scaffolds, with calcium phosphate phase only retained in the silk-nanoCaP layer. The scaffold presented compressive moduli of 0.4MPa in the wet state. Rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (RBMSCs) were cultured on the scaffolds, and good adhesion and proliferation were observed. The silk-nanoCaP layer showed a higher alkaline phosphatase level than the silk layer in osteogenic conditions. Subcutaneous implantation in rabbits demonstrated weak inflammation. In a rabbit knee critical size OCD model, the scaffolds firmly integrated into the host tissue. Histological and immunohistochemical analysis showed that collagen II positive cartilage and glycosaminoglycan regeneration presented in the silk layer, and de novo bone ingrowths and vessel formation were observed in the silk-nanoCaP layer. These bilayered scaffolds can therefore be promising candidates for OCD regeneration.

Poly(ester-urethane) scaffolds: effect of structure on properties and osteogenic activity of stem cells.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of structure (design and porosity) on the matrix stiffness and osteogenic activity of stem cells cultured on poly(ester-urethane) (PEU) scaffolds. Different three-dimensional (3D) forms of scaffold were prepared from lysine-based PEU using traditional salt-leaching and advanced bioplotting techniques. The resulting scaffolds were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), mercury porosimetry and mechanical testing. The scaffolds had various pore sizes with different designs, and all were thermally stable up to 300 °C. In vitro tests, carried out using rat bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) for bone tissue engineering, demonstrated better viability and higher cell proliferation on bioplotted scaffolds compared to salt-leached ones, most probably due to their larger and interconnected pores and stiffer nature, as shown by higher compressive moduli, which were measured by compression testing. Similarly, SEM, von Kossa staining and EDX analyses indicated higher amounts of calcium deposition on bioplotted scaffolds during cell culture. It was concluded that the design with larger interconnected porosity and stiffness has an effect on the osteogenic activity of the stem cells.

Engineering cell-adhesive gellan gum spongy-like hydrogels for regenerative medicine purposes.

The similarity between the extracellular matrix of soft tissue and hydrogels, characterized by high-water-content viscoelastic polymeric networks, has been sustaining the advancement of hydrogels for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM) purposes. Current research on hydrogels has focused on introducing cell-adhesive peptides to promote cell adhesion and spreading, a critical applicability limitation. Here we report the development of gellan gum (GG) spongy-like hydrogels with ameliorated mechanical performance and flexibility in relation to hydrogels, using a simple and cost-effective method. Most importantly, these materials allow the entrapment of different cell types representing mesenchymal, epidermal and osteoblastic phenotypes that spread within the three-dimensional microstructure. This effect was associated with microstructural rearrangements characterized by pore wall thickening and pore size augmentation, and lower water content than precursor hydrogels. These properties significantly affected protein adsorption once cell adhesion was inhibited in the absence of serum. Spongy-like hydrogels are not adhesive for endothelial cells; however, this issue was surpassed by a pre-incubation with a cell-adhesive protein, as demonstrated for other substrates but not for traditional hydrogels. The proposed cell-compatible GG-based structures avoid time-consuming and expensive strategies that have been used to include cell-adhesive features in traditional hydrogels. This, associated with their off-the-shelf availability in an intermediary dried state, represents unique and highly relevant features for diverse TERM applications.