The present disclosure relates to a biocompatible hydrogel capable of providing a physical support for effective adhesion, growth, differentiation and maturation of a variety of cell types including osteoblasts, osteoclasts, primary human cells and non-osteogenic cells. In an aspect, the hydrogel can include a natural polysaccharide modified with an acrylic monomer. In some embodiments, the disclosed hydrogel can be effectively used for differentiation of osteoblasts and mineralization by osteoblasts, particularly in absence of growth factor(s).The present disclosure further provides a method for producing a biocompatible hydrogel suitable for tissue engineering.
