TABLE 1.
Studies on injectable hydrogels in cartilage tissue engineering.
| Materials | Major outcomes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| collagen types I and II | chondrocytes implanted in hydrogels secrete cartilage-specific ECM. | Yuan et al. (2016) |
| collagen type II | hyaline cartilage showed good regeneration after 8 weeks, and there was a significant difference in cartilage regeneration between the control group and the transplant group after 24 weeks | Funayama et al. (2008) |
| collagen type II and hyaluronic acid | induce proliferation and survival of chondrocytes | Kontturi et al. (2014) |
| aminogelatin, four-strand PEG acrylate, and oxidized dextran | proliferation and expansion of chondrocyte cells after embedding them in the produced injectable hydrogel | Geng et al. (2012) |
| methacryloyl gelatin modified with poly-L-lysine and phenylboronic acid (Gel-EPL/B) | increased the differentiation of stem cells into chondrocytes, promoted the deposition of the extracellular matrix of chondrocytes, and created a 3D microenvironment for cartilage repair | Wang et al. (2021) |
| calcium-phosphate-alginate | better cell viability, bone differentiation, and mechanical properties | Zhao et al. (2010) |
| alginate/hyaluronic acid | Biodegradability, cartilage regeneration (6 weeks after injection in mice | Park and Lee (2014) |
| oxidized periodate alginate, gelatin and borax | excellent cell viability, cell migration and proliferation, low inflammatory response, and good integration with cartilage tissue | Balakrishnan et al. (2014) |
| alginate, O-carboxymethyl chitosan, and fibrin nanoparticles | Suitable mechanical properties, swelling rate, biodegradability, and biocompatibility | Jaikumar et al. (2015) |
| glycerol phosphate, chitosan, and hydroxyethylcellulose | Favorable cell viability, proliferation, and differentiation | Naderi- et al. (2014) |
| starch, N-succinyl, chitosan, and dialdehyde | limited water absorption, more robust structure, lower weight loss, and shorter gelation time | Kamoun (2016) |
| heparin-tyramine and dextran-tyramine | proliferation of chondrocytes, and increased production of collagen and chondroitin sulfate | Jin et al. (2011) |
| Heparin, gelatin (L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) | increased glycosaminoglycan production, repair of damaged cartilage tissue, and formation of new tissue that could integrate with normal cartilage tissue | Kim et al. (2012b) |
| chondroitin sulfate/poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) | no cytotoxicity (tested on 293 human fetal kidney cells), excellent adhesion to surrounding tissue, increased tensile strength (from 0.4 to 1 kPa), and improved mechanical properties | Wiltsey et al. (2013) |
| chondroitin sulfate/pullulan | increased cell proliferation, high cytocompatibility, and cartilaginous ECM deposition | Chen et al. (2016) |
| hyaluronic acid/PEG | high mechanical properties (breaking strength = 109.4 kPa, storage modulus = 27 kPa and compressive strain 81.9%), cell viability and proliferation | Yu et al. (2014a) |
| hyaluronic acid/chitosan | excellent biocompatibility, high cell proliferation and increased ECM deposition in cartilage | Barbucci et al. (2002) |
| hyaluronic acid derivatives (particularly ethylene diamino and amino/octadecyl hyaluronic acid), and divinyl sulfone with functionalized inulin | improved the mechanical properties (elastic modulus 14.8 ± 0.6 kPa), reduced hydrogels susceptibility to hydrolysis by hyaluronidase | Palumbo et al. (2015) |
| heparin-conjugated fibrin | appropriate biodegradability (within 4 weeks) and sustained release of BMP-4 and TGF-β1. Increased subchondral bone and hyaline cartilage regeneration compared to the control sample (over 12 weeks) | Sarsenova et al. (2022) |
| fibrin/agarose | The prepared artificial cartilage showed high cell compatibility and mechanical stability | Bonhome-Espinosa et al. (2020) |
| elastin-like recombinamer (ELR) | ELR hydrogels only regenerated hyaline cartilage. Hydrogels embedded with rMSCs also result in proper bone regeneration | Cipriani et al. (2019) |
| elastin-like recombinamer (ELR) | ELR-hMSCs hydrogel caused the complete formation of hyaline cartilage and subchondral bone | Pescador et al. (2017) |
| poly (L-glutamic acid) | favorable mechanical properties, rapid gelation, well injectability, and high cell viability and proliferation | Yan et al. (2016) |
| PEG | adequate cartilage regeneration | Skaalure et al. (2015) |
| hyaluronic acid and PEG | short gelation times, favorable mechanical properties, and high cell viability and proliferation | Yu et al. (2014b) |