Extracellular matrix (ECM) provides
structural support and biochemical
cues for tissue development and regeneration. Here we report a thermosensitive
hydrogel composed of soluble ECM (sECM) and methylcellulose (MC) for
injectable stem cell delivery. The sECM was prepared by denaturing
solid ECM extracted from human adipose tissue and then blended with
a MC solution. At low temperatures, the sECM-MC solution displayed
a viscous solution state in which the loss modulus (<i>G</i>″) was predominant over the storage modulus (<i>G</i>′). With increasing temperature, <i>G</i>′
increased dramatically and eventually exceeded <i>G</i>″
around 34 °C, characteristic of the transition from a liquid-like
state to an elastic gel-like state. After a single injection of the
stem cell-embedded hydrogel in full thickness cutaneous wound, the
wound healed rapidly through re-epithelialization and neovascularization
with minimum scar formation. The overall results suggest that in-situ-forming
sECM-MC hydrogels are a promising injectable vehicle for stem cell
delivery and tissue regeneration
