regeneration. Here we present an in vitro response of bone marrowderived MSC and nasal chondrocytes (NC) to modified gellan gumbased hydrogels. Both ionic(iGG-MA) and photo-crosslinked (phGGMA) methacrylated gellan gum showed no cytotoxicity in extraction assays with MSC and NC. Furthermore, the materials did not induce pro-inflammatory responses in endothelial cells. MSC and NC attached and formed a monolayer on the hydrogel surface. Moreover, both cell types could be encapsulated into the hydrogels and remained viable for at least 2 weeks, as shown by live cell staining and histochemistry. Importantly, encapsulated MSC and NC showed an increased expression of chondrocytic markers in response to chondrogenic conditions. Altogether, the data confirm the potential of modified gellan gumbased materials in NP tissue engineering. Acknowledgements: The funding was provided by EU FP7 project Disc Regeneration (Grant No. NMP3-LA-2008-213904).