Hydrogels for directed stem cell differentiation and tissue repair

Abstract

Thanks to their tunable physical and biochemical properties, hydrogels are an attractive tool for tissue engineering applications. This review highlights the design parameters that have been shown to influence stem cell behaviour when cultured on or within hydrogels and presents the various types of materials and crosslinking methods currently used to produce hydrogels suitable for stem cell-based tissue engineering. We also focus on new generations of hydrogels with spatially and dynamically controllable physical and biochemical properties, which open up new perspectives in the study of stem cell behaviour and in the development of therapeutic solutions in regenerative medicine. In line with the current need for more tunable and dynamic properties, polyrotaxane hydrogels can be used to create spatially flexible structures at the molecular scale and are therefore emerging as a new player in the field of tissue engineering.