The Role of Alginate Hydrogels as a Potential Treatment Modality for Spinal Cord Injury: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature

Biomaterial engineers are developing solutions to combat chronic diseases, but synthetic materials can cause cytotoxic immunological effects. Biomolecular and cell-based approaches are now prominent in treating spinal conditions. Alginate hydrogels, derived from brown algae, can mimic the mechanical integrity of human tissue, making them valuable in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. This review describes the properties of alginate hydrogels and their functional outcomes in spinal cord injury, aiming to highlight their value in future treatment strategies.

• 1
  Alginate hydrogels are efficient substrates for tissue engineering, drug delivery, neural regeneration, and cell-based therapies for spinal cord injury repair.
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  Alginate hydrogels can act as pro-regenerative and antidegenerative agents, potentially improving clinical outcomes for spinal cord injuries.
• 3
  Alginate hydrogel scaffolds can guide axonal regeneration, as demonstrated by increased axon numbers and linear orientation in rat spinal cord injury models.