Bioengineering 2019, 6(1), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering6010017
Application of Metal Nanoparticle–Hydrogel Composites in Tissue Regeneration
1
School of Science, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya, 47500 Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
2
Department of Medical Sciences, School of Healthcare and Medical Sciences, Sunway University, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
3
Monash-Industry Palm Oil Education and Research Platform (MIPO), Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 17 January 2019 / Revised: 31 January 2019 / Accepted: 5 February 2019 / Published: 11 February 2019
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Noble Metal Functionalized Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications)
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Abstract
Challenges in organ transplantation such as high organ demand and biocompatibility issues have led scientists in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine to work on the use of scaffolds as an alternative to transplantation. Among different types of scaffolds, polymeric hydrogel scaffolds have received considerable attention because of their biocompatibility and structural similarity to native tissues. However, hydrogel scaffolds have several limitations, such as weak mechanical property and a lack of bioactive property. On the other hand, noble metal particles, particularly gold (Au) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs), can be incorporated into the hydrogel matrix to form NP–hydrogel composite scaffolds with enhanced physical and biological properties. This review aims to highlight the potential of these hybrid materials in tissue engineering applications. Additionally, the main approaches that have been used for the synthesis of NP–hydrogel composites and the possible limitations and challenges associated with the application of these materials are discussed.Keywords:
silver nanoparticle; gold nanoparticle; hydrogel; nanocomposite; tissue engineering; regenerative medicine
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).

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Tan, H.-L.; Teow, S.-Y.; Pushpamalar, J. Application of Metal Nanoparticle–Hydrogel Composites in Tissue Regeneration. Bioengineering 2019, 6, 17.
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