Recent Advances in the Hydrogel-Based Biomolecule Delivery System for Cartilage Tissue Engineering

Abstract

Many investigations have been conducted to explore new therapeutic approaches for cartilage tissue regeneration owing to the limited repair ability of cartilage. Delivery of therapeutic biomolecules is a promising strategy for enhancing tissue regeneration. However, the direct delivery of therapeutic biomolecules in vivo generally leads to a rapid loss of product or the possibility of spreading to nontarget sites, which may weaken their therapeutic effectiveness and impair the translation of these strategies into clinical practice. Recently, new tissue engineering strategies using controlled delivery systems have been considered to overcome these weaknesses by regulating the spatiotemporal distribution of the therapeutic biomolecules. Hydrogels are promising carriers for the development of biomolecule delivery systems because they are highly tunable and can be fabricated to encapsulate bioactive biomolecules and control their release. Moreover, their favorable biocompatibility and ability to integrate into host tissue may facilitate their use in tissue regeneration in a wide variety of situations. This review summarizes recent strategies for the design of hydrogels as biomolecule delivery systems for cartilage regeneration.