Mesenchymal stem cells for craniofacial tissue regeneration: designing hydrogel delivery vehicles

Craniofacial injuries require a variety of different cell types to repopulate areas of bone, cartilage, tendon, and fat. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) provide a multipotent cell source for tissue engineering of this area, particularly when the cells are delivered via a 3D hydrogel environment. MSC differentiation into cartilage, bone, and fat has been investigated through a variety of techniques, some of which include the use of synthetic hydrogel scaffolds, integration of extracellular matrix components and other natural gel chemistries, microparticle delivery of growth factors, simultaneous mechanical stimulation, and the delivery of microRNA. This review aims to summarize the most recent studies involving the synthesis and application of 3D hydrogels to induce the differentiation of encapsulated MSCs and their subsequent matrix production.