Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 2023 · DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1111882 · Published: January 18, 2023
Secondary spinal cord injury (SSCI) involves several complex biological processes. Bioactive additives like drugs and cells are used to help. Hydrogels are promising materials for delivering these additives directly to the injury site. Hydrogels can act as scaffolds, encouraging nerve cells to grow in the right direction. They can also be modified to have new functions. This review discusses different hydrogel delivery systems and their modifications for treating SSCI. Hydrogels are biological materials similar to “jelly,” which can easily load drugs, cells, or other bioactive substances. When hydrogels are transplanted into the site of SCI, these bioactive materials perform their corresponding biological functions. When hydrogels are transplanted into the site of SCI, these bioactive materials perform their corresponding biological functions.
Hydrogels enable localized and sustained delivery of drugs, cytokines, and stem cells to the injury site, improving therapeutic efficacy.
Hydrogels provide a structural matrix for cell growth and axon regeneration, facilitating tissue repair and functional recovery.
Functionalized hydrogels can modulate the injury microenvironment by reducing inflammation, promoting angiogenesis, and guiding cell differentiation.