Table 1.
Overview on relevant publications using hyaluronan (HA)-based cryogels.
| GAG | Further Polymer | Crosslinking | Properties | Applications | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HA | - | EGDE | Large, interconnected macropores (diameters > 100 µm) |
Structure-property study | [13,14] |
| Collagen (Col) | Decreased swelling with higher Col portion | Dermal fibroblast cultivation | [15] | ||
| HA | Halloysite nanotubes (HNTs, Al2Si2 O5(OH)4∙nH2O) | Divinyl sulfone | Pores size from 50 to 500 µm. Increase in HNT-content enhances mechanical stability, haemocompatible, promoting cell viability, and proliferation | Cell carrier for mesenchymal stem cells and different cancer cells | [16] |
| HA | - | EDC | Average pore size 18 to 87 μm (large macropores); wide range of elasticity, porosity > 90%, high extensibility, moderate toughness | Soft tissue engineering | [17] |
| Gelatin (Gel) | Adipose tissue engineering | [18] | |||
| Gel (+glucosamine, GlcN) | GlcN affects proliferation, and chondrogenic phenotype | Cartilage tissue engineering | [19] | ||
| HA | - | Genipin | Interconnected macropores (~100 µm), elastic, low cytotoxicity | Cell culture scaffold, wound healing | [20] |
| HA | Chitosan | PEC formation | Highly interconnected pore network, porosity: 87%, average pore size: 77 µm, Young’s modulus: 0.2 MPa (dry state) | Mimic of glioblastoma micro-environment ECM | [21] |
| Glutar dialdehyde | Porosity > 90%, mean pore size 150–200 µm, high swelling ratio, highly elastic, cytocompatible | Cell culture scaffold | [22] | ||
| HA | Atelocollagen | PCl-di-NCO | Dimensionally stable, elastic, high porosity (>93%), hemocompatible | Wound healing | [23] |
| HA-methacrylate | - | Electron beam-initiated polymerization | Interconnected pores (~70 µm), mechanically stable | Soft tissue engineering | [24,25] |
| HA-acrylate | Main pore size 70–120 µm, high elasticity, excellent swelling | Skin regeneration, wound healing | [26] | ||
| HA-methacrylate | -/Gel-methacrylate | Free radical polymerization (APS/TEMED) | Maintaining shape for 30 days in vitro and in vivo | Skin sculpting, injectable shape-memorizing filler | [27] |
| Gel-methacrylate | Macroporous, injectable, improved cell adhesion of biocomposite | Cell carrier | [28] | ||
| Gel-methacrylate, N, N-dimethylacrylamide |
Mechanically robust, high frictional resistance |
Biomedical application | [29] | ||
| Gel-methacrylate, 4arm-PEG-acrylate |
Mechanically robust, injectable, printable | Adipose tissue engineering | [30] | ||
| Dextran-methacrylate | Mechanically robust, Porosity: 80–93%, pore size: 50–135 µm |
Tissue engineering scaffold | [31] | ||
| HA-methacrylate | -/Gel-methacrylate | UV-Photo-crosslinking (365 nm, Irgacure 2959) | Macroporous, highly permeable gel structure | Cell encapsulation (chondrocytes, hMSCs) | [32] |
| HA-furfurylamide | PEG-bis(maleimide) (+mono/disaccharides) (+dyes, bioactive ligands) |
Diels-Alder reaction | Mean pore sizes 10–30 µm, optically transparent cryogels, Immobilization of dyes, bioactive molecules | Biomimetic cell culture models with 3D spatial control of cellular response | [33,34] |
EDC: 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide; EGDE: ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether; APS/TEMED: ammonium persulfate/N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine.