These findings indicate that delivering vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) from a hydrogel directly to the brain can offer substantial functional and structural protection against ischemic damage, as demonstrated in a rat stroke model by Emerich et al. Partially oxidized low-molecular-weight (50 kDa) and high-molecular-weight (MW) (250 kDa) ultrapure MVG alginates were reconstituted in EBM-2 to create a 2% w/v solution, with a ratio of 75% LMW to 25% HMW used in all the experiments. Here, VEGFA is linked to stroke disorder.