GelMA-based bioactive hydrogel scaffolds with multiple bone defect repair functions: therapeutic strategies and recent advances

Abstract

Currently, the clinical treatment of critical bone defects attributed to various causes remains a great challenge, and repairing these defects with synthetic bone substitutes is the most common strategy. In general, tissue engineering materials that mimic the structural, mechanical and biological properties of natural bone have been extensively applied to fill bone defects and promote in situ bone regeneration. Hydrogels with extracellular matrix (ECM)-like properties are common tissue engineering materials, among which methacrylate-based gelatin (GelMA) hydrogels are widely used because of their tunable mechanical properties, excellent photocrosslinking capability and good biocompatibility. Owing to their lack of osteogenic activity, however, GelMA hydrogels are combined with other types of materials with osteogenic activities to improve the osteogenic capability of the current composites.