Well-designed scaffolds provide appropriate
niches that can effectively
recruit host cells and induce differentiation of recruited cells into
the desired cell types, facilitating in situ tissue regeneration.
Here we report a tissue-specific extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogel
composed of adipose-derived soluble ECM (sECM) and methylcellulose
(MC) as a cell-free scaffold system for adipose tissue regeneration.
The sECM–MC hydrogels showed a thermosensitive sol–gel
phase transition and rapidly formed a soft hydrogel with a stiffness
of 3.8 kPa at body temperature. An in vivo study showed that the sECM–MC
hydrogel facilitated the infiltration of host cell populations, particularly
adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) and adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs)
that directly contribute to the adipose tissue regeneration. Moreover,
the hydrogel significantly enhanced host-derived adipogenesis and
angiogenesis without exogenous cells or bioactive molecules. Our results
indicate that the sECM–MC hydrogels provide mechanical and
biochemical cues for host-derived adipose regeneration. Overall, the
sECM–MC hydrogels are a highly promising cell-free therapeutic
approach for in situ adipose tissue regeneration
