Tissue Engineering: Development of a Cellularly Degradable PEG Hydrogel to Promote Articular Cartilage Extracellular Matrix Deposition (Adv. Healthcare Mater. 5/2015)

A cellularly degradable hydrogel based on peptide and protein functionalized PEG is designed on page 702 by M. A. Randolph, K. S. Anseth, and co-workers to allow local, cell-mediated remodeling in a manner that promotes cartilage extracellular matrix deposition and leads to increased mechanical properties. The cover depicts encapsulated chondrocytes secreting cartilage-specific matrix macromolecules (orange fibers and green branches) that remodel and replace the surrounding synthetic network (white lines).