Hydrogels are three-dimensional (3D) cross-linked networks that swell in water and can be used as scaffold for seeding cells and growth factors into tissues such as cartilage defects.
Hydrogels mimic normal extracellular matrix
They contain water-loving large molecules (polymers) that swell in aqueous solution. The gel can provide an appropriate microenvironment to facilitate the migration, adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of chondrocytes and osteoprogenitor cells to osteoblasts, and efficiently deliver nutrients and growth factors where they are needed for tissue regeneration.
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