Hydrogels provide microenvironments to mesenchymal stem cells for craniofacial bone regeneration: Review

The anatomical and physiological architecture of the craniofacial bone is intricate. Hence, the exact management of osteogenesis is necessary for the regeneration of the deficiencies that present in this area. Stem-based tissue engineering approaches, as opposed to conventional surgical intervention, induce bone growth with minimal postoperative risk and expense. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC)'s pluripotent differentiation potential, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties underpin its versatility as a therapeutic agent in bone tissues. Inspired by the native stem cell niche, hydrogels are preferred choices to mediate cells and adapt to 3-D environment because of their outstanding swelling capabilities and similarity to natural extracellular matrices (ECMs). Due to their remarkable biocompatibility and capacity for stimulating bone regeneration, bone regeneration hydrogels have also received a great deal of interest. This review explores the opportunities of MSC based regenerative skeletal therapies, introduces the application of hydrogel scaffolds as artificial bone microenvironments for stem cells to explore its usage in craniofacial bone tissue engineering.