Advanced Hydrogel-Based Strategies for Enhanced Bone and Cartilage Regeneration: A Comprehensive Review

De Leon-Oliva, Diego; Boaru, Diego Liviu; Perez-Exposito, Roque Emilio; Fraile-Martinez, Oscar; García-Montero, Cielo; Diaz, Raul; Bujan, Julia; García-Honduvilla, Natalio; Lopez-Gonzalez, Laura; Álvarez-Mon, Melchor; Saz, Jose V.; de la Torre, Basilio; Ortega, Miguel A.

doi:10.3390/gels9110885

Open AccessReview

Advanced Hydrogel-Based Strategies for Enhanced Bone and Cartilage Regeneration: A Comprehensive Review

by

Diego De Leon-Oliva

^1,2,

Diego Liviu Boaru

^1,2,

Roque Emilio Perez-Exposito

^1,3,

Oscar Fraile-Martinez

^1,2

,

Cielo García-Montero

^1,2

,

Raul Diaz

^2,4

,

Julia Bujan

^1,2

,

Natalio García-Honduvilla

^1,2

,

Laura Lopez-Gonzalez

^1,2,4,

Melchor Álvarez-Mon

^1,2,5

,

Jose V. Saz

^2,6,

Basilio de la Torre

^2,3,4,† and

Miguel A. Ortega

^1,2,*,†

¹

Department of Medicine and Medical Specialities, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcala de Henares, Spain

²

Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain

³

Service of Traumatology of University Hospital Ramón y Cajal, 28034 Madrid, Spain

⁴

Department of Surgery, Medical and Social Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcala de Henares, Spain

⁵

Immune System Diseases-Rheumatology Service, Hospital Universitario Principe de Asturias, 28801 Alcala de Henares, Spain

⁶

Department of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, 28801 Alcala de Henares, Spain

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Gels 2023, 9(11), 885; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9110885

Submission received: 30 September 2023 / Revised: 6 November 2023 / Accepted: 7 November 2023 / Published: 8 November 2023

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Hydrogels for Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering (2nd Edition))

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Abstract

Bone and cartilage tissue play multiple roles in the organism, including kinematic support, protection of organs, and hematopoiesis. Bone and, above all, cartilaginous tissues present an inherently limited capacity for self-regeneration. The increasing prevalence of disorders affecting these crucial tissues, such as bone fractures, bone metastases, osteoporosis, or osteoarthritis, underscores the urgent imperative to investigate therapeutic strategies capable of effectively addressing the challenges associated with their degeneration and damage. In this context, the emerging field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM) has made important contributions through the development of advanced hydrogels. These crosslinked three-dimensional networks can retain substantial amounts of water, thus mimicking the natural extracellular matrix (ECM). Hydrogels exhibit exceptional biocompatibility, customizable mechanical properties, and the ability to encapsulate bioactive molecules and cells. In addition, they can be meticulously tailored to the specific needs of each patient, providing a promising alternative to conventional surgical procedures and reducing the risk of subsequent adverse reactions. However, some issues need to be addressed, such as lack of mechanical strength, inconsistent properties, and low-cell viability. This review describes the structure and regeneration of bone and cartilage tissue. Then, we present an overview of hydrogels, including their classification, synthesis, and biomedical applications. Following this, we review the most relevant and recent advanced hydrogels in TERM for bone and cartilage tissue regeneration.

Keywords: tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM); advanced hydrogels; bone regeneration; extracellular matrix (ECM); scaffolds; stem cells (SCs)

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MDPI and ACS Style

De Leon-Oliva, D.; Boaru, D.L.; Perez-Exposito, R.E.; Fraile-Martinez, O.; García-Montero, C.; Diaz, R.; Bujan, J.; García-Honduvilla, N.; Lopez-Gonzalez, L.; Álvarez-Mon, M.; et al. Advanced Hydrogel-Based Strategies for Enhanced Bone and Cartilage Regeneration: A Comprehensive Review. Gels 2023, 9, 885. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9110885

AMA Style

De Leon-Oliva D, Boaru DL, Perez-Exposito RE, Fraile-Martinez O, García-Montero C, Diaz R, Bujan J, García-Honduvilla N, Lopez-Gonzalez L, Álvarez-Mon M, et al. Advanced Hydrogel-Based Strategies for Enhanced Bone and Cartilage Regeneration: A Comprehensive Review. Gels. 2023; 9(11):885. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9110885

Chicago/Turabian Style

De Leon-Oliva, Diego, Diego Liviu Boaru, Roque Emilio Perez-Exposito, Oscar Fraile-Martinez, Cielo García-Montero, Raul Diaz, Julia Bujan, Natalio García-Honduvilla, Laura Lopez-Gonzalez, Melchor Álvarez-Mon, and et al. 2023. "Advanced Hydrogel-Based Strategies for Enhanced Bone and Cartilage Regeneration: A Comprehensive Review" Gels 9, no. 11: 885. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9110885

APA Style

De Leon-Oliva, D., Boaru, D. L., Perez-Exposito, R. E., Fraile-Martinez, O., García-Montero, C., Diaz, R., Bujan, J., García-Honduvilla, N., Lopez-Gonzalez, L., Álvarez-Mon, M., Saz, J. V., de la Torre, B., & Ortega, M. A. (2023). Advanced Hydrogel-Based Strategies for Enhanced Bone and Cartilage Regeneration: A Comprehensive Review. Gels, 9(11), 885. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9110885

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Advanced Hydrogel-Based Strategies for Enhanced Bone and Cartilage Regeneration: A Comprehensive Review

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