When comparing the two additives, superior cell survival was revealed in DbPE-based hybrid hydrogels. Initial exposure of DbPEs resulted in moderate cell viability, however, the proportion of live cells progressively increased to > 60% over the period of cultivation. A substantial portion of the DbPE micelles escaped from the hybrid hydrogels upon incubation in the culture medium within 72 hours (Figure ), thus reducing both effective polymer concentration in the hydrogel and exposure of embedded cells to the DbPEs, resulting in improved cell viability. Therefore, the DbPEs can be surmised to serve as effective sacrificial scaffolding materials in the hybrid hydrogels. In contrast, a high cell death rate was observed in TbPE-based hydrogels at day 1 post-encapsulation. TbPEs were more resistant against dilution due to presence of the interconnected nanoscale PEC network (not visible in SEM) . Limited space for cells