Applications of Gelatin Methacryloyl (GelMA) Hydrogels in Microfluidic Technique-Assisted Tissue Engineering |
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| Authors: | Taotao Liu Wenxian Weng Yuzhuo Zhang Xiaoting Sun Huazhe Yang |
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| Institution: | 1.Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Fundamental Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China; (T.L.); (W.W.); (Y.Z.);2.Department of Chemistry, School of Fundamental Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China;3.Department of Biophysics, School of Fundamental Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang 110122, China |
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| Abstract: | In recent years, the microfluidic technique has been widely used in the field of tissue engineering. Possessing the advantages of large-scale integration and flexible manipulation, microfluidic devices may serve as the production line of building blocks and the microenvironment simulator in tissue engineering. Additionally, in microfluidic technique-assisted tissue engineering, various biomaterials are desired to fabricate the tissue mimicking or repairing structures (i.e., particles, fibers, and scaffolds). Among the materials, gelatin methacrylate (GelMA)-based hydrogels have shown great potential due to their biocompatibility and mechanical tenability. In this work, applications of GelMA hydrogels in microfluidic technique-assisted tissue engineering are reviewed mainly from two viewpoints: Serving as raw materials for microfluidic fabrication of building blocks in tissue engineering and the simulation units in microfluidic chip-based microenvironment-mimicking devices. In addition, challenges and outlooks of the exploration of GelMA hydrogels in tissue engineering applications are proposed. |
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| Keywords: | GelMA hydrogels microfluidics biomedicine |
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