Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering: Addressing Key Design Needs Toward Clinical Translation

• Published in: Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology 2022-05, Vol.10, p.849831-849831
• Main Authors: Xu, Fei, Dawson, Chloe, Lamb, Makenzie, Mueller, Eva, Stefanek, Evan, Akbari, Mohsen, Hoare, Todd
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bioengineering and Biotechnology; Biomaterials; Bioprinting; Electrospinning; Hydrogels; Tissue Engineering
• ISSN: 2296-4185; 2296-4185
• DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.849831

While the soft mechanics and tunable cell interactions facilitated by hydrogels have attracted significant interest in the development of functional hydrogel-based tissue engineering scaffolds, translating the many positive results observed in the lab into the clinic remains a slow process. In this review, we address the key design criteria in terms of the materials, crosslinkers, and fabrication techniques useful for fabricating translationally-relevant tissue engineering hydrogels, with particular attention to three emerging fabrication techniques that enable simultaneous scaffold fabrication and cell loading: 3D printing, tissue engineering, and cell electrospinning. In particular, we emphasize strategies for manufacturing tissue engineering hydrogels in which both macroporous scaffold fabrication and cell loading can be conducted in a single manufacturing step - electrospinning, 3D printing, and tissue engineering. We suggest that combining such integrated fabrication approaches with the lessons learned from previously successful translational experiences with other hydrogels represents a promising strategy to accelerate the implementation of hydrogels for tissue engineering in the clinic.