Smart Hydrogels for Bone Reconstruction via Modulating the Microenvironment

Weikai Chen; Hao Zhang; Qirong Zhou; Fengjin Zhou; Qin Zhang; Jiacan Su

doi:10.34133/research.0089

Smart Hydrogels for Bone Reconstruction via Modulating the Microenvironment

Research (Wash D C). 2023:6:0089. doi: 10.34133/research.0089. Epub 2023 Mar 27.

Authors

Weikai Chen^{1

2

3

4

5}, Hao Zhang^{1

2

3}, Qirong Zhou^{1

2

3

6}, Fengjin Zhou⁷, Qin Zhang^{1

2

3}, Jiacan Su^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Translational Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, P. R. China.
² Organoid Research Center, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, P. R. China.
³ National Center for Translational Medicine (Shanghai), Shanghai University Branch, Shanghai 200444, P. R. China.
⁴ School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, P. R. China.
⁵ School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, P. R. China.
⁶ Department of Orthopedics Trauma, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, P. R. China.
⁷ Department of Orthopaedics, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiao Tong University, Xi'an 710000, P. R. China.

Abstract

Rapid and effective repair of injured or diseased bone defects remains a major challenge due to shortages of implants. Smart hydrogels that respond to internal and external stimuli to achieve therapeutic actions in a spatially and temporally controlled manner have recently attracted much attention for bone therapy and regeneration. These hydrogels can be modified by introducing responsive moieties or embedding nanoparticles to increase their capacity for bone repair. Under specific stimuli, smart hydrogels can achieve variable, programmable, and controllable changes on demand to modulate the microenvironment for promoting bone healing. In this review, we highlight the advantages of smart hydrogels and summarize their materials, gelation methods, and properties. Then, we overview the recent advances in developing hydrogels that respond to biochemical signals, electromagnetic energy, and physical stimuli, including single, dual, and multiple types of stimuli, to enable physiological and pathological bone repair by modulating the microenvironment. Then, we discuss the current challenges and future perspectives regarding the clinical translation of smart hydrogels.

Publication types

Review