Hydrogels from Wharton's jelly as alternative to conventional extracellular matrix-based constructs
Anaïs Lavrand, Lorinne Adam, Alexis Da Rocha, Flora Lemaire, Capucine Loth, Adrien Baldit, Maxime Vasseaux, Laurence Van Gulick, A. Beljebbar, Pedro Esteves Duarte Augusto, Alexandre Berquand, Chrystelle Salameh, Nadine Nassif, Fouzia Boulmedais, Cédric Mauprivez, Esteban Brenet, Halima Kerdjoudj
Abstract
Extracellular matrix (ECM)-based hydrogels are increasingly used in regenerative medicine; however, animal-derived sources such as rat tail tendon ECM (RT-ECM)-the current gold standard-face limitations for clinical translation. We propose hydrogels derived from decellularized human Wharton's jelly (WJ-ECM) as a bioactive and sustainable alternative. Compared to RT-ECM, WJ-ECM hydrogels exhibit a distinct biochemical composition, combining type I/III collagen and glycosaminoglycans, and form thinner fibrils. Upon exposure to culture medium, they display reduced syneresis. Rheological and confined compression tests reveal lower stiffness and decreased permeability. Functionally, WJ-ECM hydrogels demonstrate superior hemostatic properties, reduce intracellular ROS accumulation in neutrophils, and promote an anti-inflammatory phenotype in macrophages. In vivo implantation confirms their biocompatibility with minimal adverse effects. These results highlight the potential of WJ-ECM hydrogels as a clinically relevant biomaterial for regenerative medicine and cell culture applications.