Hydrogel Reinforced by Short Albumin Fibers: Mechanical Characterization and Assessment of Biocompatibility

Injectable hydrogels represent biomaterials attractive for many biomedical applications. Here, a hybrid material composed of dextran‐crosslinked gelatin embedded with ≈100–1 000 µm long, electrospun bovine serum albumin fibers is described. Incorporation of fibers at weight fractions of 1–6% increases the hydrogel elastic modulus by up to ≈40% and decreases the gelation time by ≈20%. The addition of short fibers does not affect the injection of the pre‐gel solution throughout medical needles at moderate shear rates. Finally, viability of seeded fibroblasts confirms the biocompatibility of the composite scaffold. This hybrid represents a class of biomaterials that structurally mimics the ECMs of common tissues and that can be delivered by a minimal‐invasive approach. A hybrid biomaterial composed of a gelatin hydrogel and short electrospun albumin fibers is described. Rheological measurements show that embedded fibers allow monitoring the hybrid's stiffness without limiting injection of the pre‐gel solution. Cell assays demonstrate the hybrid's biocompatibility.