Tissue Engineering Applications of Gelatin-Based Biomaterials

Gelatin, a denatured derivative of collagen, has emerged as a versatile platform for engineering functional tissues through its inherent biocompatibility, biodegradability and tunable physicochemical properties. By adjusting its molecular weight, degree of crosslinking and formulation into hydrogels, fibres or microparticles, researchers can tailor mechanical strength, porosity and degradation rates to match the requirements of distinct tissue types. In bone and cartilage repair, gelatin scaffolds loaded with osteogenic cells and growth factors facilitate mineral deposition and chondrogenic differentiation under controlled release conditions. For soft tissue regeneration, injectable gelatin–hyaluronan composites provide a supportive three-dimensional environment for vascular endothelial and dermal fibroblast proliferation. Within microfabricated constructs, gelatin promotes cell adhesion and matrix remodelling, while serving as a reservoir for precise delivery of growth factors, small molecules or genetic material. Advances in chemical modification—such as thiolation, methacrylation and enzymatic crosslinking—permit photopolymerisation and post-fabrication functionalisation, enabling spatial control over scaffold architecture and bioactive ligand presentation. The global significance of gelatin-based systems extends from low-cost bulk scaffolds for large-scale tissue repair to high-throughput microscale platforms for drug screening and disease modelling. Such platforms bridge the gap between in vitro assays and clinical translation by recapitulating aspects of native extracellular matrix and facilitating modular assembly of cell-laden building blocks into complex tissue analogues.

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Tissue Engineering Applications of Gelatin-Based Biomaterials publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in tissue engineering applications of gelatin-based biomaterials across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Gelatin: A protein derived from collagen, used as a biodegradable scaffold material.

Crosslinking: Chemical or enzymatic bonding between polymer chains to adjust mechanical strength and degradation rate.

Hydrogel: A water-swollen polymer network that mimics soft tissue extracellular matrix.

Microparticles: Spherical particles at the micrometre scale used for controlled delivery of cells, drugs or genes.

Biocompatibility: The ability of a material to interact with biological systems without eliciting adverse reactions.

References

1. Development of a modular, biocompatible thiolated gelatin microparticle platform for drug delivery and tissue engineering applications. Regenerative Biomaterials (2021).
2. Strategies Using Gelatin Microparticles for Regenerative Therapy and Drug Screening Applications. Molecules (2021).
3. Mineralizing Gelatin Microparticles as Cell Carrier and Drug Delivery System for siRNA for Bone Tissue Engineering. Pharmaceutics (2022).