Hydrogels in Tissue Engineering
Materials scientists at Singapore University of Technology and Design have developed a two-phase cellulose nanofiber hydrogel (CNF)—liquid and solid—that should be useful for bioprinting and tissue regeneration. “Biological cells can be loaded into the CNF hydrogel when it is in its more fluid, less viscous state, and then subsequently implanted into a patient through a minimally-invasive technique, such as an injection. In its liquid form, the CNF hydrogel will also be able to conform to the complex, narrow spaces in the host’s tissue before returning to its solid gel-like state. The CNF hydrogel in its more solidified state will then eventually be substituted with the patient’s own tissue as it provides a platform to regenerate and repair damaged tissue during the healing process.” MORE
Image Credit: Singapore University of Technology and Design