Hidrogel injektagarriak eta haien aplikazioak ehun ingeniaritzan

Abstract

Tissue engineering aims to create functional substitutes for damaged or diseased tissues through complex constructions of living cells, bioactive molecules and three-dimensional porous scaffolds that support the union, proliferation and differentiation of cells. These constructions can be formed by injection of a precursor which can solidify into the defective tissue, which has converted biomaterials such as injectable hydrogels into one of the most promising biomedical research areas of recent years. Injectable hydrogels are based on the in-situ crosslinking of polymer networks. The mechanisms involved in the formation of these gels can be very varied, and are based on both reversible physical interactions, forming thermosensitive hydrogels, sensitive or ionic pH, and chemical reactions, as is the case of photocrosslinked hydrogels or enzymatically crosslinked. This paper aims to review the main strategies currently used for the formation of injectable hydrogels and, in addition, to show brief results on the formation of injectable hydrogels based on chitosan by physical and chemical crosslinking.