Sulfated Hydrogels in Intervertebral Disc and Cartilage Research
Emily Lazarus,
Paola Bermudez-Lekerika,
Daniel Farchione,
Taylor Schofield,
Sloan Howard,
Iskender Mambetkadyrov,
Mikkael Lamoca,
Iris V. Rivero,
Benjamin Gantenbein,
Christopher L. Lewis,
Karin Wuertz-Kozak
Affiliations
Emily Lazarus
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14632, USA
Paola Bermudez-Lekerika
Tissue Engineering for Orthopaedics and Mechanobiology, Bone & Joint Program, Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), Medical Faculty, University of Bern, CH-3008 Bern, Switzerland
Daniel Farchione
Inamori School of Engineering, Alfred University, Alfred, NY 14802, USA
Taylor Schofield
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14632, USA
Sloan Howard
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14632, USA
Iskender Mambetkadyrov
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14632, USA
Mikkael Lamoca
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14632, USA
Iris V. Rivero
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14632, USA
Benjamin Gantenbein
Tissue Engineering for Orthopaedics and Mechanobiology, Bone & Joint Program, Department for BioMedical Research (DBMR), Medical Faculty, University of Bern, CH-3008 Bern, Switzerland
Christopher L. Lewis
Department of Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14632, USA
Karin Wuertz-Kozak
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY 14632, USA
Hydrogels are commonly used for the 3D culture of musculoskeletal cells. Sulfated hydrogels, which have seen a growing interest over the past years, provide a microenvironment that help maintain the phenotype of chondrocytes and chondrocyte-like cells and can be used for sustained delivery of growth factors and other drugs. Sulfated hydrogels are hence valuable tools to improve cartilage and intervertebral disc tissue engineering. To further advance the utilization of these hydrogels, we identify and summarize the current knowledge about different sulfated hydrogels, highlight their beneficial effects in cartilage and disc research, and review the biofabrication processes most suitable to secure best quality assurance through deposition fidelity, repeatability, and attainment of biocompatible morphologies.
