It has a much lower antigenicity compared to similar collagen-based bioinks because of its arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptide sequence. This tripeptide sequence promotes cellular growth increasing cellular viability when cells are incorporated.
Biodegradable
GelMA contains matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) degradable motifs which are enzyme binding locations that trigger the catabolism of the gelatin architecture in GelMA. The degradation of GelMA is then replaced by the natural ECM without triggering a severe inflammatory response.
Naturally Derived
GelMA contains a gelatin protein base derived from naturally occurring sources. This is unlike other bioinks like Matrigel® where the base is derived from cancer cells which increase instability of the bioink and can potentially expose encapsulated cells to cancerous genetic material.