Recent progress on functional hydrogels as biomaterial for biomedicine

As a polymer material with a three-dimensional network structure, hydrogel has broad application prospects in the field of biomedical due to its high moisture content, porosity, flexibility, biocompatibility and controllable physical and chemical properties. This paper systematically reviews the lat...

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Main Authors: Hepeng Yang, Taotao Zeng, Tao Jiang, Qin Wei, Seyed Dariush Taherzade, Xiaolan Peng, Junping Zhu, Zeyan Zhou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Results in Chemistry
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211715625004473
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author Hepeng Yang
Taotao Zeng
Tao Jiang
Qin Wei
Seyed Dariush Taherzade
Xiaolan Peng
Junping Zhu
Zeyan Zhou
author_facet Hepeng Yang
Taotao Zeng
Tao Jiang
Qin Wei
Seyed Dariush Taherzade
Xiaolan Peng
Junping Zhu
Zeyan Zhou
author_sort Hepeng Yang
collection DOAJ
description As a polymer material with a three-dimensional network structure, hydrogel has broad application prospects in the field of biomedical due to its high moisture content, porosity, flexibility, biocompatibility and controllable physical and chemical properties. This paper systematically reviews the latest research progress and challenges of functional hydrogels in vitro and in vivo. In vitro applications, hydrogels significantly improve the limitations of traditional two-dimensional cell culture by simulating the microenvironment of extracellular matrix (ECM), providing an ideal platform for 3D cell culture, organoid construction and drug screening. Although natural polymer hydrogels (such as collagen and Matrigel) have good biological activity, they have problems of batch differences and insufficient mechanical properties; synthetic polymer hydrogels (such as polyethylene glycol) can achieve controllable performance through chemical modification, but their biological inertia needs to be optimized through compound strategies. Compound hydrogels combined with nanomaterials or 3D bioprinting technology further enhance the conductivity, antibacteriality and mechanical adaptability, and promote the development of precise tissue engineering. In vivo applications, hydrogels are outstanding as soft tissue fillers, wound dressings and tissue repair stents. For example, self-crosslinked hyaluronic acid hydrogel overcomes the degradation problem of traditional fillers, and silver nanocomposite hydrogels significantly improve antibacterial performance through photothermal/photodynamic synergistic effects. In addition, the application of hydrogels in bone, heart, cartilage and nerve repair demonstrates its multi-organ repair potential, such as decellularized ECM hydrogels promoting bone regeneration, and 3D printed alginate/gelin hydrogels to build artificial heart valves. Despite the significant results, the long-term biocompatibility, immune response and standardized preparation of hydrogels in clinical transformation are challenges that need to be solved urgently. In the future, combined with 3D printing, microfluidic technology and functional design, hydrogels are expected to play a more important role in personalized medical care and complex tissue regeneration, becoming the next generation of core biomaterials.
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spelling doaj-art-e04ef66375e74af5b2bf0034ad956e1e2025-08-20T03:23:34ZengElsevierResults in Chemistry2211-71562025-07-011610246410.1016/j.rechem.2025.102464Recent progress on functional hydrogels as biomaterial for biomedicineHepeng Yang0Taotao Zeng1Tao Jiang2Qin Wei3Seyed Dariush Taherzade4Xiaolan Peng5Junping Zhu6Zeyan Zhou7Changsha Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410100, PR China; College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR ChinaCollege of Material Science and Engineering, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha 410114, PR China; College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR ChinaLaboratory Animal Center of Xinjiang Medical University, 393 Xinyi Road, Urumqi 830011, PR China; College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR ChinaLaboratory Animal Center of Xinjiang Medical University, 393 Xinyi Road, Urumqi 830011, PR ChinaCollege of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR ChinaChangsha Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410100, PR China; Corresponding authors at: College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China.College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China; School of Chinese Medical Sciences, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410208, PR China; Corresponding authors at: College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China.College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China; Corresponding authors at: College of Materials Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China.As a polymer material with a three-dimensional network structure, hydrogel has broad application prospects in the field of biomedical due to its high moisture content, porosity, flexibility, biocompatibility and controllable physical and chemical properties. This paper systematically reviews the latest research progress and challenges of functional hydrogels in vitro and in vivo. In vitro applications, hydrogels significantly improve the limitations of traditional two-dimensional cell culture by simulating the microenvironment of extracellular matrix (ECM), providing an ideal platform for 3D cell culture, organoid construction and drug screening. Although natural polymer hydrogels (such as collagen and Matrigel) have good biological activity, they have problems of batch differences and insufficient mechanical properties; synthetic polymer hydrogels (such as polyethylene glycol) can achieve controllable performance through chemical modification, but their biological inertia needs to be optimized through compound strategies. Compound hydrogels combined with nanomaterials or 3D bioprinting technology further enhance the conductivity, antibacteriality and mechanical adaptability, and promote the development of precise tissue engineering. In vivo applications, hydrogels are outstanding as soft tissue fillers, wound dressings and tissue repair stents. For example, self-crosslinked hyaluronic acid hydrogel overcomes the degradation problem of traditional fillers, and silver nanocomposite hydrogels significantly improve antibacterial performance through photothermal/photodynamic synergistic effects. In addition, the application of hydrogels in bone, heart, cartilage and nerve repair demonstrates its multi-organ repair potential, such as decellularized ECM hydrogels promoting bone regeneration, and 3D printed alginate/gelin hydrogels to build artificial heart valves. Despite the significant results, the long-term biocompatibility, immune response and standardized preparation of hydrogels in clinical transformation are challenges that need to be solved urgently. In the future, combined with 3D printing, microfluidic technology and functional design, hydrogels are expected to play a more important role in personalized medical care and complex tissue regeneration, becoming the next generation of core biomaterials.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211715625004473HydrogelBiomaterialsVitroVivoApplications
spellingShingle Hepeng Yang
Taotao Zeng
Tao Jiang
Qin Wei
Seyed Dariush Taherzade
Xiaolan Peng
Junping Zhu
Zeyan Zhou
Recent progress on functional hydrogels as biomaterial for biomedicine
Results in Chemistry
Hydrogel
Biomaterials
Vitro
Vivo
Applications
title Recent progress on functional hydrogels as biomaterial for biomedicine
title_full Recent progress on functional hydrogels as biomaterial for biomedicine
title_fullStr Recent progress on functional hydrogels as biomaterial for biomedicine
title_full_unstemmed Recent progress on functional hydrogels as biomaterial for biomedicine
title_short Recent progress on functional hydrogels as biomaterial for biomedicine
title_sort recent progress on functional hydrogels as biomaterial for biomedicine
topic Hydrogel
Biomaterials
Vitro
Vivo
Applications
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211715625004473
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AT seyeddariushtaherzade recentprogressonfunctionalhydrogelsasbiomaterialforbiomedicine
AT xiaolanpeng recentprogressonfunctionalhydrogelsasbiomaterialforbiomedicine
AT junpingzhu recentprogressonfunctionalhydrogelsasbiomaterialforbiomedicine
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