Bioresponsive Hydrogels: Chemical Strategies and Perspectives in Tissue Engineering

• Main Authors: Antonella Sgambato, Laura Cipolla, Laura Russo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2016-10-01
• Series: Gels
• Subjects: hydrogels; tissue engineering; bioconjugation
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2310-2861/2/4/28

Disease, trauma, and aging account for a significant number of clinical disorders. Regenerative medicine is emerging as a very promising therapeutic option. The design and development of new cell-customised biomaterials able to mimic extracellular matrix (ECM) functionalities represents one of the major strategies to control the cell fate and stimulate tissue regeneration. Recently, hydrogels have received a considerable interest for their use in the modulation and control of cell fate during the regeneration processes. Several synthetic bioresponsive hydrogels are being developed in order to facilitate cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions. In this review, new strategies and future perspectives of such synthetic cell microenvironments will be highlighted.