Editor's Summary

6 March 2008

A tissue of hydrogels

Polysaccharide-based hydrogels show potential for drug delivery and tissue engineering applications, for instance as a matrix to boost natural tissue regeneration. Ladet et al. use a multi-step interrupted gelation process to generate complex hydrogels with multi-membrane 'onion-like' and tubular architectures. The new structures are made from chitosan or alginates, biocompatible natural polymers, and their novel layered structure creates vacant 'inter-membrane' spaces suitable for cell or drug introduction. The starting hydrogel can have any shape, and in principle any number of layers can be created. Initial experiments with chondrocyte cells cultured within a chitosan hydrogel suggest that the material has potential as a base for artificial tissues.

Letter: Multi-membrane hydrogels

Sébastien Ladet, Laurent David & Alain Domard

doi:10.1038/nature06619

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