 Initially, the polymer chains were highly cross-linked, but as degradation proceeded, ester bonds were hydrolyzed, allowing the gel to swell; the compressive modulus decreased as the mesh size increased until the hydrogel was completely dissolved.It was demonstrated that neural precursor cells were able to be photoencapsulated and cultured on the PEG gels with minimal cell death.Because the mesh size is initially small, the hydrogel blocks inflammatory and other inhibitory signals from surrounding tissue.