title: A Review of Injectable Polymeric Hydrogel Systems for Application in Bone Tissue Engineering.
abstract: Biodegradable, stimuli-responsive polymers are essential platforms in the field of drug delivery and injectable biomaterials for application of bone tissue engineering. Various thermo-responsive hydrogels display water-based homogenous properties to encapsulate, manipulate and transfer its contents to the surrounding tissue, in the least invasive manner. The success of bioengineered injectable tissue modified delivery systems depends significantly on their chemical, physical and biological properties. Irrespective of shape and defect geometry, injectable therapy has an unparalleled advantage in which intricate therapy sites can be effortlessly targeted with minimally invasive procedures. Using material testing, it was found that properties of stimuli-responsive hydrogel systems enhance cellular responses and cell distribution at any site prior to the transitional phase leading to gelation. The substantially hydrated nature allows significant simulation of the extracellular matrix (ECM), due to its similar structural properties. Significant current research strategies have been identified and reported to date by various institutions, with particular attention to thermo-responsive hydrogel delivery systems, and their pertinent focus for bone tissue engineering. Research on future perspective studies which have been proposed for evaluation, have also been reported in this review, directing considerable attention to the modification of delivering natural and synthetic polymers, to improve their biocompatibility and mechanical properties.
authors.affiliation: Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, School of Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 7 York Road, Parktown 2193, South Africa. 549348@students.wits.ac.za.
authors.forename: Pariksha J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Kondiah
authors.affiliation: Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, School of Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 7 York Road, Parktown 2193, South Africa. yahya.choonara@wits.ac.za.
authors.forename: Yahya E
authors.initials: YE
authors.lastname: Choonara
authors.affiliation: Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, School of Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 7 York Road, Parktown 2193, South Africa. pierre.kondiah@wits.ac.za.
authors.forename: Pierre P D
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Kondiah
authors.affiliation: Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, School of Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 7 York Road, Parktown 2193, South Africa. thashree.marimuthu@wits.ac.za.
authors.forename: Thashree
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Marimuthu
authors.affiliation: Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, School of Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 7 York Road, Parktown 2193, South Africa. pradeep.kumar@wits.ac.za.
authors.forename: Pradeep
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, School of Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 7 York Road, Parktown 2193, South Africa. lisa.dutoit@wits.ac.za.
authors.forename: Lisa C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: du Toit
authors.affiliation: Wits Advanced Drug Delivery Platform Research Unit, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, School of Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 7 York Road, Parktown 2193, South Africa. viness.pillay@wits.ac.za.
authors.forename: Viness
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pillay
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D001861:Bone Regeneration; D004337:Drug Carriers; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D012106:Research; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004337:Drug Carriers; D011108:Polymers; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate
keywords: biodegradable; drug delivery; hydrogels; stimuli-responsive; thermo-responsive polymers; tissue engineering