Gel-Based Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 141

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
CEITEC-Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, 61200 Brno, Czech Republic
Interests: hyaluronan; chitosan; collagen; tissue engineering; wound dressing; hydrogel
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC), Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 123, 61200 Brno, Czech Republic
Interests: biomaterial; polymer nanocomposite; tissue regeneration; medical textile; nanotechnology; wound dressing and healing materials; 3D scaffold; 3D printing; polysaccharides
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, significant advances in biomaterials-based scaffolds have transformed the field of tissue engineering, offering promising solutions for the regeneration and repair of damaged tissues and organs. These scaffolds serve as 3D frameworks that mimic the natural extracellular matrix, providing physical support and biological cues essential for cell attachment, proliferation, and differentiation. The evolution of scaffold materials from natural polymers like collagen and chitosan to synthetic and composite biomaterials has enabled greater control over mechanical strength, degradation rates, and biocompatibility. Furthermore, innovations in fabrication techniques such as electrospinning, 3D bioprinting, and nanotechnology have allowed for precise architectural design and functionalization of scaffolds to suit specific tissue requirements. These developments, combined with the integration of growth factors, stem cells, and responsive biomolecules, are paving the way for more effective, personalized, and clinically translatable tissue-engineered therapies.

This Special Issue, "Gel-Based Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering", aims to showcase recent breakthroughs and innovative research in scaffold development across various biomedical applications. We invite original research articles, reviews, and short communications that highlight novel biomaterials, advanced fabrication methods, functionalization approaches, in vitro/in vivo studies, and clinical translational efforts.

Dr. Rasha Abdelrahman
Dr. Abdelmohsen Abdellatif
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • tissue engineering
  • 3D scaffolds
  • nanotechnology
  • biomaterials
  • composites and nanocomposites
  • fabrication technique
  • clinical progress
  • gel and aerogel based on polysaccharides

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 8933 KB  
Article
CO2-Induced Foaming and Gelation for the Fabrication of Macroporous Alginate Aerogel Scaffolds
by Natalia Menshutina, Eldar Golubev, Andrey Abramov and Pavel Tsygankov
Gels 2026, 12(1), 17; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12010017 - 24 Dec 2025
Abstract
Alginate aerogels are attractive candidates for biomedical scaffolds because they combine high mesoporosity with biocompatibility and can be processed into open, interconnected macroporous networks suitable for tissue engineering. Here, we systematically investigate how CO2-induced foaming parameters govern the hierarchical pore structure [...] Read more.
Alginate aerogels are attractive candidates for biomedical scaffolds because they combine high mesoporosity with biocompatibility and can be processed into open, interconnected macroporous networks suitable for tissue engineering. Here, we systematically investigate how CO2-induced foaming parameters govern the hierarchical pore structure of alginate aerogels produced by subsequent supercritical CO2 drying. Sodium alginate–CaCO3 suspensions are foamed in a CO2 atmosphere at 50 or 100 bar, depressurization rates of 50 or 0.05 bar·s−1, temperatures of 5 or 25 °C, and, optionally, under pulsed pressure or with Pluronic F-68 as a surfactant. The resulting gels are dried using supercritical CO2 and characterized by micro-computed tomography and N2 sorption. High pressure combined with slow depressurization (100 bar, 0.05 bar·s−1) yields a homogeneous macroporous network with pores predominantly in the 200–500 µm range and a mesoporous texture with 15–35 nm pores, whereas fast depressurization promotes bubble coalescence and the appearance of large (>2100 µm) macropores and a broader mesopore distribution. Lowering the temperature, applying pulsed pressure, and adding surfactant enable further tuning of macropore size and connectivity with a limited impact on mesoporosity. Interpretation in terms of Peclet and Deborah numbers links processing conditions to non-equilibrium mass transfer and gel viscoelasticity, providing a physically grounded map for designing hierarchically porous alginate aerogel scaffolds for biomedical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gel-Based Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering)
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