Polymeric Hydrogel Scaffolds: Skin Tissue Engineering and Regeneration

Abstract

Tissue engineering is a novel regenerative approach in the medicinal field that promises theregeneration of damaged tissues. Moreover, tissue engineering involves synthetic and naturalbiomaterials that facilitate tissue or organ growth outside the body. Not surprisingly, the demandfor polymer-based therapeutical approaches in skin tissue defects has increased at an effectiverate, despite the pressing clinical need. Among the 3D scaffolds for tissue engineering andregeneration approaches, hydrogel scaffolds have shown significant importance for their useas 3D cross-linked scaffolds in skin tissue regeneration due to their ideal moisture retentionproperty and porosity biocompatibility, biodegradable, and biomimetic characteristics. Inthis review, we demonstrated the choice of ideal biomaterials to fabricate the novel hydrogelscaffolds for skin tissue engineering. After a short introduction to the bioactive and drug-loadedpolymeric hydrogels, the discussion turns to fabrication and characterisation techniques of thepolymeric hydrogel scaffolds. In conclusion, we discuss the excellent wound healing potentialof stem cell-loaded hydrogels and Nano-based approaches to designing hydrogel scaffolds forskin tissue engineering.

Keywords

• hydrogel
• skin
• tissue engineering
• wound healing