Abstract
During the last 20 years, materials which undergo sol–gel transition have received considerable attention within the field that interfaces material science and medicine. Animal cells and tissue fragments could easily be incorporated in these materials while in the sol state, and become stably encapsulated in the apparently solid gel following the transition. This review focuses on two types of materials (i) sol–gel silicates and (ii) thermosensitive injectable cell delivery vehicles. Although a wealth of innovation and inventiveness was invested in the research and many medical applications were tested in vitro and in laboratory animals, no product or procedure using sol–gel systems has been medically approved to this date. Sol–gel silicates, though safe and biocompatible, are soluble in body fluids, and, thus, unsuitable for producing stable xenografts. Injectable cell delivery vehicles based on thermosensitive sol–gel transition materials are not completely bioresorbable, and do not generally enjoy GRAS status.
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