Polymer-based hydrogel scaffolds for skin tissue engineering applications: a mini-review

Abstract

Polymer hydrogels consist of a three-dimensional (3D) structure with cross-linked networks rich in a huge amount of water through hydrogen-bonding interactions, making them highly hydrophilic. Due to their impressive hydrophilic characteristics and cell non-cytotoxicity, polymer hydrogels are useful tissue engineering tools for the organization of cells and tissues and organ regeneration. Many biomedical engineers and researchers have recently begun to utilize polymer hydrogels as tissue or cell culture environments and as scaffolds for the stable growth of organs in tissue engineering and regeneration medicine. This paper focuses on skin regeneration in polymer hydrogels where skin is a means of protecting the body from infection or physical or chemical damage. Generally, skin tissue that has incurred minor damage or wounds can regenerate and heal in a relatively short time, while severe injuries may require transplantation or artificial skin. For those purposes, skin culturing in an in vitro environment is essential, and the environment produced using polymer hydrogel scaffolds needs to be both similar to the real environment and safe for skin cell growth. This paper reviews post-2000 skin regeneration research in the field of tissue engineering, focusing specifically on polymer hydrogels; it also discusses some of the central perspectives and key issues.