Shear-thinning hydrogels for biomedical applications

Abstract

Injectable hydrogels are becoming increasingly important in the fields of tissue engineering and drug delivery due to their tunable properties, controllable degradation, high water content, and the ability to deliver them in a minimally invasive manner. Shear-thinning is one promising technique for the application of injectable hydrogels, where preformed hydrogels can be injected by application of shear stress (during injection) and quickly self-heal after removal of shear. Importantly, these gels can be used to deliver biological molecules and cells during the injection process. This review aims to highlight the range of injectable shear-thinning hydrogel systems being developed, with a focus on the various mechanisms of formation and shear-thinning and their use in biomedical applications.