Nanocomposite hydrogels for tissue engineering applications
Hongbo Zhao1, Min Liu2, Yajie Zhang3
1Department of Polymer Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China and CAS Key Laboratory for Nano-Bio Interface, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China. rjpei2011@sinano.ac.cn.
Abstract:
Tissue engineering is an important field of regenerative medicine, which combines scaffolds and cell transplantation to develop substitute tissues and/or promote tissue regeneration. Hydrogels, a three-dimensional network with high water content and biocompatibility, have been widely used as scaffolds to mimic the structure and properties of tissues. However, the low mechanical strength and limited functions of traditional hydrogels greatly limited their applications in tissue engineering. Recently, nanocomposite hydrogels, with its advantages of high mechanical property and some unique properties (such as electrical conductivity, antibacterial, antioxidation, magnetic responsiveness), have emerged as the most versatile and innovative technology, which provides a new opportunity as a unique tool for fabricating hydrogels with excellent properties. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in fabricating nanocomposite hydrogels and their applications in tissue engineering. In addition, the future and prospects of nanocomposite hydrogels for tissue engineering are also discussed.
