Alginate processing routes to fabricate bioinspired platforms for tissue engineering and drug delivery

Abstract

Alginate is a water-soluble polymer which has gained much attention in the last 20 years as suitable biomaterial for numerous applications in biomedical science and engineering. The strong biocompatibility in cell microenvironment and the possibility to process alginate solution by safe conditions to reach a stable form after polymer gelation – via ionic, chemical, or thermal route – make them useful to design different types of devices (i.e., injectable gels, porous scaffolds, micro-/nanoparticles) which are attractive for wound healing, cell transplantation, drug delivery, and three-dimensional scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. In this chapter, current potential applications of alginates in biomedical science, tissue engineering, and drug delivery will be discussed. After a brief overview of general properties of polymer and its hydrogels, we will focus on the processing techniques mainly used for their manufacturing, also suggesting, in the last part, potential uses and future perspectives for their novel applications in biomedical field.