Engineering cell microenvironment using novel functional hydrogels
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2015
Abstract
Cell microenvironment plays critical roles in regulating cellular activities both spatially and temporally. Engineering cell microenvironment using hydrogels has attracted increasing attention given their native-mimicking properties. In particular, developing hydrogels with specific functions has recently emerged as novel biocomposites to enable the regulation of cell microenvironment from a variety of aspects such as the biological, mechanical and electrical microenvironment. In this review, the state-of-the-art methods for the preparation and application of several novel functional hydrogels are presented, including magnetic hydrogels, photoresponsive hydrogels, conductive hydrogels, thermoresponsive hydrogels, molecule-response hydrogels, as well as tough and stretchable hydrogels. In particular, the applications of these functional hydrogels for engineering cell microenvironment are also reviewed. Concluding remarks and perspectives for the future development of functional hydrogels are addressed.
Keywords
Functional hydrogels, Cell microenvironment, Magnetic hydrogels, Conductive hydrogels, Photoresponsive hydrogels
Divisions
fac_eng
Funders
National Natural Science Foundation of China (11372243 and 81401270),International Science & Technology Cooperation Program of China (2013DFG02930),Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,China Young 1000-Talent Program,Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), Government of Malaysia: high impact research (UM.C/HIR/MOHE/ENG/44)
Publication Title
European Polymer Journal
Volume
72
Publisher
Elsevier