Abstract
In the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, hydrogels are used as biomaterials to support cell attachment and promote tissue regeneration due to their unique biomimetic characteristics. The use of natural-origin materials significantly influenced the origin and progress of the field due to their ability to mimic the native tissues’ extracellular matrix and biocompatibility. However, the majority of these natural materials failed to provide satisfactory cues to guide cell differentiation toward the formation of new tissues. In addition, the integration of technological advances, such as 3D printing, microfluidics and nanotechnology, in tissue engineering has obsoleted the first generation of natural-origin hydrogels. During the last decade, a new generation of hydrogels has emerged to meet the specific tissue necessities, to be used with state-of-the-art techniques and to capitalize the intrinsic characteristics of natural-based materials. In this review, we briefly examine important hydrogel crosslinking mechanisms. Then, the latest developments in engineering natural-based hydrogels are investigated and major applications in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine are highlighted. Finally, the current limitations, future challenges and opportunities in this field are discussed to encourage realistic developments for the clinical translation of tissue engineering strategies.
Highlights
In the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, hydrogels are used as biomaterials to support cell attachment and promote tissue regeneration due to their unique biomimetic characteristics
A range of ECM biomolecules served as the protein component of the hybrid system, which were used as bioink to bioprint complex hierarchical structures, showing that the combination of self-assembly with 3D bioprinting has a huge potential in the field [51]
Hydrogels reinforced with different amounts of aldehyde-cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) (0.125 and 0.25 wt %) exhibited storage modulus (E0 ) values between 107 and 152 kPa, which represented an increase by 65% and 135% compared with non-reinforced hydrogels
Summary
Tissue engineering promises to develop functional biological substitutes that restore, maintain, or improve tissue function using the principles of biology and engineering [1]. The field relies extensively on the use of scaffolds, cells and stimuli to induce new tissue formation. The incorporation of nature-derived materials as matrices or scaffolds to support and promote cell growth and proliferation has had a significant impact in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM) [2,3]. Molecules 2020, 25, 5858 acids—nucleotide chains (DNA, RNA) Considering their source, natural materials might be originated from plants, animals (xenogenic) or humans (allogenic and autologous). Natural materials have gained momentum, provided by the engineering of a new generation of hydrogels intended to meet the specific tissues necessities and their use with state-of-the-art techniques. The engineering of advanced hydrogels through the exploitation of supramolecular chemistry and nanotechnology is surveyed
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