Alginate Hydrogels as Biomaterials

TLDR

Alginate hydrogels are versatile biomaterials used as tissue engineering scaffolds, drug delivery vehicles, and model extracellular matrices. Their properties—stiffness, swelling, degradation, cell attachment, and bioactive molecule release—are tuned via chemical or physical modifications of the alginate polysaccharide or its gels. Modified alginate gels have been shown in vitro and in vivo to support bone‑like tissue formation, with osteoblast‑seeded constructs degrading over months and enhancing bone regeneration.

Abstract

Abstract Summary: Alginate hydrogels are proving to have a wide applicability as biomaterials. They have been used as scaffolds for tissue engineering, as delivery vehicles for drugs, and as model extracellular matrices for basic biological studies. These applications require tight control of a number of material properties including mechanical stiffness, swelling, degradation, cell attachment, and binding or release of bioactive molecules. Control over these properties can be achieved by chemical or physical modifications of the polysaccharide itself or the gels formed from alginate. The utility of these modified alginate gels as biomaterials has been demonstrated in a number of in vitro and in vivo studies. Micro‐CT images of bone‐like constructs that result from transplantation of osteoblasts on gels that degrade over a time frame of several months leading to improved bone formation. magnified image Micro‐CT images of bone‐like constructs that result from transplantation of osteoblasts on gels that degrade over a time frame of several months leading to improved bone formation.