this invention refers to photo - crosslinked hydrogel materials based in gellan gum suitable for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications or as drug delivery systems . formulations of gellan gum with different degrees of acylation serve as precursor material for insertion of a polymerizable moiety . the materials are capable of free radical polymerization with a photo - initiator at mild temperatures and exposure to ultraviolet light , enabling control of reticulation and withstanding the encapsulation of human and animal cells and / or drugs , and any combination thereof . the physicochemical and biological properties can be adjusted by combining different formulations of gellan gum and reaction conditions . the matrix can be used either as an acellular or cellular system , dispensed manually or automatically by injection and crosslinked directly at the site of application , and can be processed using manual or automated systems in different types of scaffolds , such as hydrogels , fibers , 3d structures and micro - or nanoparticles .