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Gels
Special Issues
Biofunctional Hydrogels for Biofabrication in Tissue Engineering
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Biofunctional Hydrogels for Biofabrication in Tissue Engineering

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 1431

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Varvara Platania

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Crete, 70013 Heraklion, Greece
Interests: bioactive hydrogels; cell-instructive biomaterials; 3D bioprinting; biofabrication; bioinks; organs-on-a-chip; tissue engineering; regenerative medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Maria Chatzinikolaidou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
Interests: biomaterials; tissue engineering; drug release systems; bone and cartilage regeneration; cell differentiation; 3D bioprinting
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogels comprising polysaccharides, proteins, biocompatible synthetic polymers, as well as their composites with active inorganic compounds are most promising for advancing tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Their highly hydrated structure, tunable mechanics, and ability to incorporate bioactive signals enable them to closely mimic the extracellular matrix and create instructive three-dimensional (3D) microenvironments for cell growth and tissue repair. In recent years, the development of biofunctional hydrogels, engineered to deliver bioactive molecules that elicit specific cellular functions by responding to mechanical or biochemical cues or exhibit antimicrobial activity, has opened exciting new avenues in tissue engineering and biofabrication for clinical translation.

This Special Issue aims to bring together the latest advances in biofunctional hydrogel design, smart and stimuli-responsive systems, and bioinks for 3D bioprinting and organ-on-a-chip models. We particularly welcome contributions that highlight the rational design of hydrogels with tailored physicochemical, mechanical, rheological and biological properties, as well as studies demonstrating their application in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Articles addressing biofunctionalization strategies, dynamic and mechanoresponsive scaffolds, and translational approaches using clinically relevant models are especially encouraged.

We invite original research papers, reviews, and communications that will inspire innovative strategies and accelerate the clinical impact of biofunctional hydrogels in regenerative medicine.

Dr. Varvara Platania
Prof. Dr. Maria Chatzinikolaidou
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-blind 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

  • biofunctional hydrogels
  • tissue engineering
  • regenerative medicine
  • 3D bioprinting
  • bioinks
  • stimuli-responsive biomaterials
  • translational biomaterials
  • biofabrication

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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19 pages, 2536 KB  
Article
Evaluation of the Potential of a Fast-Curing Polymer Bioadhesive Hydrogel for Corneal Defect Repair
by Zohreh Arabpour, Soheil Sojdeh, Amirhosein Panjipour, Zahra Bibak Bejandi, Amal Yaghmour, Miranda Castillo, Anwar N. Khandaker, Mohammad Soleimani and Ali R. Djalilian
Gels 2026, 12(5), 357; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12050357 - 23 Apr 2026
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Abstract
Corneal defects are a major cause of vision loss and require rapid, biocompatible, and effective sealing methods to restore ocular integrity and prevent infection. Current clinical adhesives, such as cyanoacrylate and fibrin glue, are limited by problems such as poor biocompatibility and inadequate [...] Read more.
Corneal defects are a major cause of vision loss and require rapid, biocompatible, and effective sealing methods to restore ocular integrity and prevent infection. Current clinical adhesives, such as cyanoacrylate and fibrin glue, are limited by problems such as poor biocompatibility and inadequate stability. This study presents the design and evaluation of a fast-curable polymer bioadhesive hydrogel, a corneal glue formulated for efficient sealing of corneal defects. Hydrogels were synthesized from natural and synthetic polymers, including polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), sodium alginate (SA), and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), optimized for rapid gelation (~45 s), robust adhesion (~15 kPa), and mechanical strength (tensile strength ~0.35 MPa and storage modulus G′ indicating strong elastic behavior). Physicochemical and rheological properties, including swelling behavior and optical transparency (>90% transmittance across 400–700 nm), were characterized, including gelation time, swelling behavior, and mechanical strength. In vitro biocompatibility was assessed using human corneal epithelial cells to evaluate cytotoxicity and cell adhesion. Ex vivo studies on human cadaveric corneas with full-thickness defects measured adhesive strength and sealing efficacy through burst pressure (~38 mmHg) and leakage tests, with comparisons to commercial fibrin and cyanoacrylate adhesives. The optimized corneal glue exhibited fast curing, robust adhesion, high water retention with minimal swelling, favorable viscoelastic properties, and excellent cytocompatibility effectively sealing corneal defects in ex vivo models. These results highlight its potential as a promising fast-curable bioadhesive for corneal wound repair and ocular surface restoration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofunctional Hydrogels for Biofabrication in Tissue Engineering)
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25 pages, 3711 KB  
Article
Gelatin–Polyvinyl Alcohol Microspheres for Controlled and Sustained Release of BMP-2 and VEGF Enhance Osteogenic and Angiogenic Cell Differentiation
by Varvara Platania, Konstantinos Loukelis and Maria Chatzinikolaidou
Gels 2026, 12(4), 326; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12040326 - 11 Apr 2026
Viewed by 728
Abstract
Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) play a pivotal role in promoting osteogenesis and angiogenesis that concurrently take place during bone regeneration. The rapid degradation and diffusion of these growth factors, combined with the potential side effects associated with [...] Read more.
Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) play a pivotal role in promoting osteogenesis and angiogenesis that concurrently take place during bone regeneration. The rapid degradation and diffusion of these growth factors, combined with the potential side effects associated with their exogenous insertion, limit their applications. To overcome these shortcomings, we developed a controlled release system for BMP-2 and VEGF on microspheres comprising gelatin (Gel) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). We fabricated Gel–PVA microspheres using a constant Gel concentration of 10% w/v and a varied PVA concentration of 0, 5, and 10% w/v (Gel–PVA0%, Gel–PVA5%, and Gel–PVA10%, respectively). The microspheres were loaded with the model protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) first. The Gel–PVA10% microspheres demonstrated significantly higher loading capacity and encapsulation efficiency, as well as lower cumulative release rate, compared to the Gel–PVA5% ones when loaded with BSA. Thus, the microspheres with the Gel–PVA10% composition were selected for loading with BMP-2 and VEGF. Kinetic studies of BMP-2 and VEGF loaded into Gel–PVA10% microspheres indicated similar results to those with BSA. The microsphere concentration with the optimal cytocompatibility was 0.5 mg/mL, and it was applied for the assessment of the osteogenic differentiation using bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and for the angiogenic differentiation in Wharton jelly and adipose-derived MSCs. Alkaline phosphatase activity, collagen secretion, and calcium mineralization were significantly upregulated in the presence of BMP-2-loaded microspheres, while tubular formation and PECAM-1 secretion were significantly higher in VEGF-loaded microspheres compared to the unloaded control, demonstrating their effectiveness as drug delivery carriers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biofunctional Hydrogels for Biofabrication in Tissue Engineering)
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