The effects of polysaccharide-based tissue adhesives on cell survival and inflammatory cell activation were determined using in vitro mouse cell cultures. Cytotoxicity of tissue adhesives was evaluated by placing adhesives in direct contact with 3T3 fibroblast cells. Polysaccharide-based tissue adhesives composed of dextran aldehyde and star PEG amine were non-cytotoxic to fibroblasts; in contrast, a commercial adhesive composed of 2-octyl cyanoacrylate was highly cytotoxic to fibroblasts. The inflammatory potential of tissue adhesives was evaluated by exposing J774 macrophage cells to adhesives, and measuring TNF-alpha release from macrophages. Polysaccharide-based tissue adhesives did not elicit inflammatory TNF-alpha release from macrophages. These results suggest that polysaccharide-based tissue adhesives are non-cytotoxic and non-inflammatory; the results are therefore significant in the design of in vitro cell culture systems to study biomaterials.