Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2020 Sep 18.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Rev Mater. 2020 May 27;5(7):539–551. doi: 10.1038/s41578-020-0199-8

Fig. 1∣. Comparison of Matrigel and synthetic scaffolds.

Fig. 1∣

a ∣ The composition of Matrigel is unamenable to modifications, ill-defined, complex and highly variable, resulting in heterogeneities in both biological and mechanical properties. As it is animal-derived, Matrigel may also contain xenogenic contaminants, and the presence of growth factors (GFs) and other biological proteins can lead to undesirable cellular effects. b ∣ Synthetic scaffolds are highly tunable and chemically defined. The mechanical, physical and biological properties of these scaffolds can be modified to direct cellular response while eliminating undesirable matrix-induced effects.