ABSTRACT
Hydrogels are water-swollen matrices that are generally formed from hydrophilic polymers that have been chemically or physically crosslinked to prevent dissolution. Synthetic polymers serve as foundation elements for hydrogel scaolds, offering precise control over many of the chemical and physical characteristics of these matrices. Synthetic elastin-mimetic hydrogels were employed in this manner to ll cartilage tissue defects in an osteochondral goat model. Incorporation of protease-sensitive segments within synthetic hydrogels creates matrices that are able to adapt to tissue formation. Photolithographic techniques have been widely employed to pattern hydrogel structures that are used to guide cell-material interactions in both 2-D and 3-D. Physical properties are also important in the biofunctionality of a synthetic hydrogel used as a cell substrate or tissue replacement. Properties of the hydrogel network, including water content and number average molecular weight between crosslinks, ultimately determine the network mesh size and thereby influence the biofunctional properties of the material.
