Hydrogel advancements in vascular tissue regeneration: a comprehensive review and future prospects

• Published in: Emergent materials (Online) Vol. 8; no. 2; pp. 999 - 1022
• Main Authors: Elshabrawy, Hend A., Moustafa, Hagar A., Yacoub, Magdi H., El-Sherbiny, Ibrahim M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.02.2025
• Subjects: Chemistry and Materials Science; Energy Materials; Materials Engineering; Materials Science; Review; Nanofibrous scaffolds; Hydrogels; Cardiovascular diseases; 3D-printing; Vascular tissue engineering; Biomaterials
• ISSN: 2522-5731; 2522-574X
• DOI: 10.1007/s42247-024-00678-1

Vascular tissue regeneration has gained a lot of interest, especially in addressing the challenges associated with vascular-related diseases and injuries. Hydrogels have shown great promise in the field of vascular tissue regeneration because of their special features, which include biocompatibility and mechanical characteristics that may be adjusted, as well as their likeness to the natural extracellular matrix. The fabrication techniques for vascular scaffolds have been the subject of much investigation due to the effectiveness of scaffold-based tissue engineering in producing new blood vessel tissues. The creation of vascular scaffolds has been greatly aided by recent developments in 3D printing, which presents an encouraging concept for the vascularization of tissues. This review covers the various cutting-edge hydrogel formulations, fabrication techniques, and strategies for the development of functional and biocompatible vascular scaffolds. The review also reveals these novel hydrogel-based techniques’ possible uses, difficulties, and possibilities for the future of vascular tissue regeneration.