Tofu-Incorporated Hydrogels for Potential Bone Regeneration

Food-derived materials possess inherent advantages in tissue engineering applications with appropriate biosafety, availability, and maneuverability. This work takes advantage of gelatin methacrylate (GelMa) to fabricate the tofu-incorporated hydrogels and systematically investigated the potential for bone regeneration. The results affirmed that tofu-incorporated hydrogel possessed porous architecture, satisfactory mechanical performance, and appropriate cytocompatibility. It is worth noting that little inflammation could be caused by the tofu/GelMa hydrogels, and the incorporated tofu powder could also promote the secretion of osteogenesis and immune-related cytokines in the early stage, resulting in improved bone regeneration during the 2-month implantation. All the results suggested that tofu/GelMa hydrogels possessed good potential for bone regeneration with low cost, satisfactory cytocompatibility, and excellent bioactivity.