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Gels
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Advances in Hydrogels for Regenerative Medicine (2nd Edition)
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Advances in Hydrogels for Regenerative Medicine (2nd Edition)

A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Processing and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2026 | Viewed by 1998

Editors

Dr. Martina Lenzuni

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Electronics, Computer and Telecommunication Engineering (IEIIT), Italian National Council of Research (CNR), 16163 Genoa, Italy
Interests: biomaterials; nanotechnology; tissue regeneration; EMF for health; cell–material interactions; stimuli-responsive materials; computational material science; hydrogel
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Dongdong Zhou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Interests: polymer materials; hydrogel
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogels have gained significant attention in regenerative medicine due to their remarkable ability to mimic the extracellular matrix, support cell proliferation, and facilitate targeted drug delivery. These highly versatile materials are engineered to provide suitable mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and degradation rates, making them ideal for tissue engineering, wound healing, and controlled release applications. Advances in hydrogel design and functionalization continue to open new pathways for customized medical solutions, addressing complex challenges in tissue regeneration and therapeutic delivery.

Given the pivotal role of hydrogels in emerging biomedical applications, we are pleased to invite you to submit your latest findings and insights on hydrogels in regenerative medicine to contribute to this rapidly evolving area. This Special Issue aims to bring together research and review articles focusing on the latest advancements in hydrogel technologies specifically tailored for regenerative medicine. The goal is to provide a comprehensive collection of studies that highlight innovative approaches to scaffold design, cell–matrix interactions, and drug release mechanisms within the scope of regenerative medicine. The submission of both theoretical and experimental studies is welcome.

In this Special Issue, we welcome original research articles and reviews that cover, but are not limited to, the following topics:

  • Design and synthesis of novel hydrogels for tissue engineering applications;
  • Smart hydrogels for controlled drug delivery in regenerative medicine;
  • Stimuli-responsive hydrogels activated by ultrasound, electromagnetic fields, or other external factors;
  • Biofunctionalization of hydrogels for cell integration;
  • Hydrogels in 3D bioprinting and scaffold development;
  • Injectable hydrogels for minimally invasive regenerative therapies;
  • Mechanistic studies of hydrogel degradation and bio-resorption in vivo;
  • Application of hydrogels in wound healing and skin regeneration;
  • Hydrogel-based microenvironments for stem cell differentiation and tissue regeneration;
  • Computational modeling and simulation of hydrogel behavior in biological environments.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Martina Lenzuni
Dr. Dongdong Zhou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Gels is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • hydrogels
  • regenerative medicine
  • biomaterials
  • tissue engineering
  • drug delivery
  • 3D bioprinting
  • scaffold design
  • biocompatibility
  • stimuli-responsive hydrogels

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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15 pages, 11807 KB  
Article
Application of ECIS to Evaluate the Effects of Porcine Urinary Bladder Matrix Hydrogels on Caco-2 Cell Attachment, Migration, and Barrier Formation
by Wei-Ling Chen, Chi-Tien Chen, Huynh-Quang-Dieu Nguyen, Phenpitcha Charoensaensuk, Chen-Yu Kao and Chun-Min Lo
Gels 2026, 12(6), 552; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12060552 - 19 Jun 2026
Viewed by 759
Abstract
Recent studies have highlighted the potential of urinary bladder matrix (UBM) derived from decellularized porcine urinary bladder as a bioactive hydrogel. Despite its complex composition of over 100 proteins, Type I collagen is the primary constituent of UBM. Caco-2 cells are widely used [...] Read more.
Recent studies have highlighted the potential of urinary bladder matrix (UBM) derived from decellularized porcine urinary bladder as a bioactive hydrogel. Despite its complex composition of over 100 proteins, Type I collagen is the primary constituent of UBM. Caco-2 cells are widely used as an in vitro model of the intestinal epithelium; however, to date, no published study has evaluated the effects of UBM on Caco-2 cells. In this study, Electric Cell–Substrate Impedance Sensing (ECIS) was used to measure Caco-2 cell attachment and wound-healing migration on UBM-coated microelectrodes. Our results demonstrate that UBM hydrogel coating at 0.2 mg/mL significantly accelerates cell attachment and enhances migration rates compared to uncoated controls. These stimulatory effects were comparable to those observed with 0.2 mg/mL Type I collagen, suggesting that UBM can function as effectively as Type I collagen. We further monitored barrier formation in Caco-2 cells cultured on UBM-coated transwell membrane inserts using TEER measurements and scanning electron microscopy. The TEER values reached 300 Ω·cm2 within three days, indicating the rapid establishment of mature tight junctions. Overall, these results show that UBM hydrogel coatings are effective substrates for Caco-2 cells, performing as well as Type I collagen in all our tests. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Hydrogels for Regenerative Medicine (2nd Edition))
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Review

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51 pages, 12688 KB  
Review
Harnessing Lessons from Gel-Based and Advanced Biomaterial Therapeutics to Enable Direct Cellular Reprogramming
by Daniel González-Nieto, José Pérez-Rigueiro, Francisco J. Rojo, Fivos Panetsos and Gustavo V. Guinea
Gels 2026, 12(6), 486; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12060486 - 1 Jun 2026
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Abstract
Direct cellular reprogramming, the conversion of one somatic cell type into another, represents a remarkable advancement in regenerative medicine. Its potential to transform fibrotic tissue into functional parenchyma underscores its therapeutic promise. However, several critical challenges remain unresolved, including limited reprogramming efficiency, the [...] Read more.
Direct cellular reprogramming, the conversion of one somatic cell type into another, represents a remarkable advancement in regenerative medicine. Its potential to transform fibrotic tissue into functional parenchyma underscores its therapeutic promise. However, several critical challenges remain unresolved, including limited reprogramming efficiency, the long-term functional stability of converted cells, their integration within pre-existing cellular circuits, and safety concerns related to transgene integration and immunological responses to reprogramming-based viral vectors. Approaches based on the exogenous administration of recombinant proteins and miRNAs have also emerged, though these rely on factors that are naturally prone to exhaustion and degradation, potentially restricting their efficacy. This review is divided into three main sections. The first part addresses direct cellular reprogramming in the context of other cell-based applications, outlining its main applications and current biological limitations. The second part examines how different biomaterials, ranging from hydrogel scaffolds to nanoparticles, can modulate direct cellular reprogramming by providing mechanical and topographical cues and by enabling tighter control over the concentration and spatiotemporal dynamics of reprogramming factors and viral vectors. The third part discusses key findings in biomaterial-assisted reprogramming strategies, highlighting emerging opportunities for clinically translatable approaches. The convergence of regenerative biology and biomaterials science may ultimately generate advanced gel-based and hybrid cellular reprogramming platforms for in vitro testing and, in situ applications, for promoting cell fate stabilization and facilitating the regeneration of damaged tissues and organs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Hydrogels for Regenerative Medicine (2nd Edition))
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