Macroporous PEG-Alginate Hybrid Double-Network Cryogels with Tunable Degradation Rates Prepared via Radical-Free Cross-Linking for Cartilage Tissue Engineering.

ABSTRACT: Trauma or repeated damage to joints can result in focal cartilage defects, significantly elevating the risk of osteoarthritis. Damaged cartilage has an inherently limited self-healing capacity and remains an urgent unmet clinical need. Consequently, there is growing interest in biodegradable hydrogels as potential scaffolds for the repair or reconstruction of cartilage defects. Here, we developed a biodegradable and macroporous hybrid double-network (DN) cryogel by combining two independently cross-linked networks of multiarm polyethylene glycol (PEG) acrylate and alginate.Hybrid DN cryogels are formed using highly biocompatible click reactions for the PEG network and ionic bonding for the alginate network. By judicious selection of various structurally similar cross-linkers to form the PE

SUBMITTER: Zhang K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11409214 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature