Tissue engineering, after decades of exciting progress and monumental breakthroughs, has yet to make a significant impact on patient health. It has become apparent that a dearth of biomaterial scaffolds which possess the material properties of human tissue while remaining bioactive and cytocompatible, has been partly responsible for this lack of clinical translation. Herein, we propose the development of interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) hydrogels as materials that can provide cells with an adhesive extracellular matrix-like 3D microenvironment while possessing the mechanical integrity to withstand physiological forces. These hydrogels can be synthesized from biologically derived or synthetic polymers, the former polymer offering preservation of adhesion, degradability, and microstructure and the latter polymer offering tunability and superior mechanical properties. We review critical advances in the enhancement of mechanical strength, substrate-scale stiffness, electrical conductivity, and degradation in IPN hydrogels intended as bioactive scaffolds in the past 5 years. We also highlight the exciting incorporation of IPN hydrogels into state-of-the-art tissue engineering technologies, such as organ-on-a-chip and bioprinting platforms. These materials will be critical in the engineering of functional tissue for transplant, disease modeling and drug screening.

中文翻译：

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互穿聚合物网络水凝胶作为组织工程的生物活性支架

经过数十年令人兴奋的进步和巨大的突破，组织工程尚未对患者的健康产生重大影响。很明显，缺乏具有人体组织材料特性同时保持生物活性和细胞相容性的生物材料支架是缺乏临床转化的部分原因。在此，我们建议开发互穿聚合物网络 (IPN) 水凝胶作为材料，该材料可以为细胞提供粘附性细胞外基质样 3D 微环境，同时具有机械完整性以承受生理力。这些水凝胶可以由生物衍生的或合成的聚合物合成，前一种聚合物可以保持粘附性、可降解性、和微观结构和后一种聚合物提供可调性和卓越的机械性能。我们回顾了过去 5 年在 IPN 水凝胶中提高机械强度、基板级刚度、电导率和降解方面的关键进展，这些 IPN 水凝胶旨在用作生物活性支架。我们还强调了 IPN 水凝胶令人兴奋地融入最先进的组织工程技术，例如器官芯片和生物打印平台。这些材料对于移植、疾病建模和药物筛选的功能组织工程至关重要。我们还强调了 IPN 水凝胶令人兴奋地融入最先进的组织工程技术，例如器官芯片和生物打印平台。这些材料对于移植、疾病建模和药物筛选的功能组织工程至关重要。我们还强调了 IPN 水凝胶令人兴奋地融入最先进的组织工程技术，例如器官芯片和生物打印平台。这些材料对于移植、疾病建模和药物筛选的功能组织工程至关重要。