Biofabrication of natural hydrogels for cardiac, neural, and bone Tissue engineering Applications

Kamil Elkhoury; Margaretha Morsink; Laura Sanchez-Gonzalez; Cyril Kahn; Ali Tamayol; Elmira Arab-Tehrany

doi:10.1016/j.bioactmat.2021.03.040

Biofabrication of natural hydrogels for cardiac, neural, and bone Tissue engineering Applications

Bioact Mater. 2021 Apr 15;6(11):3904-3923. doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2021.03.040. eCollection 2021 Nov.

Authors

Kamil Elkhoury¹, Margaretha Morsink², Laura Sanchez-Gonzalez¹, Cyril Kahn¹, Ali Tamayol³, Elmira Arab-Tehrany¹

Affiliations

¹ LIBio, Université de Lorraine, Nancy, F-54000, France.
² Department of Applied Stem Cell Technologies, TechMed Centre, University of Twente, Enschede, 7500AE, the Netherlands.
³ Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, 06030, USA.

Abstract

Natural hydrogels are one of the most promising biomaterials for tissue engineering applications, due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and extracellular matrix mimicking ability. To surpass the limitations of conventional fabrication techniques and to recapitulate the complex architecture of native tissue structure, natural hydrogels are being constructed using novel biofabrication strategies, such as textile techniques and three-dimensional bioprinting. These innovative techniques play an enormous role in the development of advanced scaffolds for various tissue engineering applications. The progress, advantages, and shortcomings of the emerging biofabrication techniques are highlighted in this review. Additionally, the novel applications of biofabricated natural hydrogels in cardiac, neural, and bone tissue engineering are discussed as well.

Keywords: Bioprinting; Hydrogel; Microfabrication; Regenerative medicine; Textiles; Tissue engineering.

Publication types

Review