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Updated: Oct 19, 2025
Injectable Supramolecular Polymer-Nanoparticle Hydrogels for Cell and Drug Delivery Applications
Published on: February 7, 2021
Injectable Natural Polymer Hydrogels for Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis
Xiaojie Lin1, Ching Ting Tsao1, Masayuki Kyomoto2
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
Abstract:
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a serious chronic and degenerative disease that increasingly occurs in the aged population. Its current clinical treatments are limited to symptom relief and cannot regenerate cartilage. Although a better understanding of OA pathophysiology has been facilitating the development of novel therapeutic regimen, delivery of therapeutics to target sites with minimal invasiveness, high retention, and minimal side effects remains a challenge. Biocompatible hydrogels have been recognized to be highly promising for controlled delivery and release of therapeutics and biologics for tissue repair. In this review, the current approaches and the challenges in OA treatment, and unique properties of injectable natural polymer hydrogels as delivery system to overcome the challenges are presented. The common methods for fabrication of injectable polysaccharide-based hydrogels and the effects of their composition and properties on the OA treatment are detailed. The strategies of the use of hydrogels for loading and release cargos are also covered. Finally, recent efforts on the development of injectable polysaccharide-based hydrogels for OA treatment are highlighted, and their current limitations are discussed.
Insights
Injectable natural polymer hydrogels offer a promising solution for osteoarthritis (OA) treatment by enabling targeted delivery of therapeutics for cartilage regeneration, overcoming current limitations in managing this chronic degenerative disease.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Regenerative Medicine
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic, degenerative joint disease affecting the aged population, with current treatments only managing symptoms, not regenerating cartilage.
- Effective therapeutic delivery to target sites in OA remains challenging due to invasiveness, poor retention, and side effects.
- Biocompatible hydrogels show potential for controlled, minimally invasive delivery of therapeutics for tissue repair in OA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current OA treatment approaches and their limitations.
- To present injectable natural polymer hydrogels as a promising delivery system for OA therapeutics.
- To discuss fabrication methods, properties, and cargo delivery strategies of these hydrogels for OA treatment.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on osteoarthritis treatment strategies.
- Analysis of injectable natural polymer hydrogels, focusing on polysaccharide-based systems.
- Discussion of hydrogel fabrication, composition, properties, and cargo loading/release mechanisms.
Main Results:
- Injectable polysaccharide-based hydrogels possess unique properties suitable for controlled therapeutic delivery in OA.
- Various fabrication methods influence hydrogel composition and properties, impacting OA treatment efficacy.
- Strategies for loading and releasing therapeutic cargos within hydrogels are detailed.
Conclusions:
- Injectable natural polymer hydrogels represent a significant advancement in overcoming challenges associated with OA therapeutic delivery.
- Further research and development are needed to address current limitations and optimize these hydrogels for clinical application in OA treatment.
- These hydrogels hold promise for improved cartilage regeneration and management of osteoarthritis.
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