Title:Bioactive Hydrogel Scaffolds - Advances in Cartilage Regeneration Through Controlled Drug Delivery
Volume: 21
Issue: 12
Author(s): Roberta Censi, Alessandra Dubbini and Pietro Matricardi
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Growth factors, platelet rich plasma, gel forming polymers, cartilage repair, controlled release, non-viral gene therapy.
Abstract: The importance of growth factor delivery in cartilage tissue engineering is nowadays widely recognized. However,
when growth factors are administered by a bolus injection, they undergo rapid clearance before they could stimulate the cells
of interest at promoting cartilage repair. Their short half-lives make growth factors ineffective, unless administered at supraphysiological
doses, with potentially harmful consequences on patient safety. Recently, new tissue engineering strategies relying
on the combination of biodegradable scaffolds and specific biological cues, such as growth or adhesive factors or genetic
material, have demonstrated that controlled release is the key factor for achieving effective cartilage repair at lower drug doses. Among
all biomaterials, hydrogels have emerged as promising cartilage tissue engineering scaffolds for simultaneous cell growth and drug delivery.
In fact, hydrogels can be easily loaded with cells and drugs, that are subsequently released in a controlled fashion. The success of
hydrogels in controlled drug delivery for tissue engineering originates from their biocompatibility and capacity to integrate well with the
host tissue. This review overviews the hydrogels technologies now available for the regeneration of cartilage that base their efficacy on
the controlled release of bioactive substances able to modulate cellular behavior and to eventually lead to successful tissue repair.
