19 - Alginate hydrogels as matrices for tissue engineering

Abstract

Publisher Summary Hydrogels are potential scaffolds for tissue engineering, as they have structural similarity to the macromolecular-based components of the body and are biocompatible. In addition, hydrogels can be transplanted into the body in a minimally invasive manner using a syringe or endoscope, which can reduce both procedural pain and recovery time. A number of synthetic and natural polymers have been used to prepare hydrogels for tissue engineering applications. Alginate is a typical biomaterial that has been extensively investigated and used for many biomedical applications due to its biocompatibility, low toxicity, relatively low cost, and mild gelation condition with divalent cations such as Ca2+. This chapter discusses the general features of alginate and its potential applications in tissue engineering. Alginate has demonstrated potential as a biomaterial for many biomedical applications, particularly tissue engineering. The most attractive features of alginate in tissue engineering include low toxicity and ease of gelation. A number of methods to control gelling behavior of alginate solutions and the physical and chemical properties of the resultant gels have been reported to date. The introduction of appropriate cell adhesion ligands to alginate gels and their spatial organization in the gels will be a challenge in tissue engineering, as this strategy can regulate specific interactions between cells and alginate gels three-dimensionally, making it more biologically relevant to living organisms.