# Methods and Technical Issues for Optimizing the Production of Hydrogels Containing Decellularized Wharton’s Jelly

## TL;DR

This paper describes methods to optimize hydrogel scaffolds made from decellularized Wharton’s jelly for tissue engineering applications.

## Contribution

The study provides a refined protocol for producing anatomically shaped, stable DWJ-based hydrogels with reproducible properties.

## Key findings

- DWJ-based hydrogels promote recovery of discogenic phenotype in degenerated intervertebral disc cells.
- The optimized protocol allows for the fabrication of millimeter-scale cylinders suitable for cartilage tissue engineering.
- The hydrogels support biological effects when tested with intervertebral disc cells and macrophages.

## Abstract

Bioinspired scaffolds, designed to mimic natural tissue
and provide
biological cues for tissue regeneration, are becoming increasingly
important in the field of tissue engineering. We previously developed
hydrogel scaffolds based on alginate and decellularized Wharton’s
jelly (DWJ) from an umbilical cord. These scaffolds have proven to
be highly effective in promoting the recovery of the lost discogenic
phenotype in degenerated intervertebral disc (IVD) cells obtained
from patients undergoing discectomy. This prompted us to refine the
various steps of the protocol to optimize the development of stable
DWJ-based scaffolds with anatomically shaped geometries such as millimeter-scale
cylinders (millicylinders) suitable for use in articular cartilage
tissue engineering. Particular attention was paid to the handling
of the materials used, the reproducibility of data, and the adaptability
of the developed system to different experimental needs/conditions,
including the transmission of mechanical stimuli and the evaluation
of the reactivity of the combined cells. Here, we report the characterization
of both the physicochemical properties of the hydrogel produced and
its specific biological effects by using IVD cells and macrophages
as experimental models. The detailed description of the various steps
provides a protocol that aims to facilitate the development of DWJ-based
hydrogels that may provide new strategies for addressing joint degeneration.