New method developed for hydrogel to mimic biological tissue

Scientists have found a way to direct the growth of hydrogel to mimic biological tissue, a breakthrough with potentially positive implications for tissue engineering and soft robotics.

A team from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and Carnegie Mellon University in the US has found that it is possible to pattern and control the growth rate of hydrogels via the manipulation of oxygen concentration to create complex 3D shapes.

Higher oxygen concentrations can slow down the cross-linking of chemicals in the hydrogel, inhibiting growth in those specific areas, while mechanical constraints such as soft wire or glass substrates can also be used to manipulate the self-assembly and formation of the gel.

Whereas previous methods for creating 3D structures involve adding or subtracting layers of material, this new technique relies on continuous polymerisation of monomers inside the porous hydrogel, an ongoing growth mode that is much more similar to how living cells in organic tissues proliferate.

This could make it possible to replace damaged biological tissues, such as in knee repairs or in the creation of artificial livers, as well as to increase the flexibility of robotic devices.

Professor Subra Suresh, president of Nanyang Technological University, said: "Greater control of the growth and self-assembly of hydrogels into complex structures offers a range of possibilities in medical and robotics fields."

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