Use of Hydrogels in the Engineering of Lung Tissue

It is important to realize that our knowledge of the fi eld of regenerative medicine is constantly evolving and changing. Progress thus far in the fi eld of lung generation is the result of determined efforts by a vast array of multidisciplinary groups, which include researchers in the fi elds of chemistry, biotechnology, cell biology, physiology, chemical engineering, and medicine. Most engineering strategies rely on the utilization of a scaffold material to support tissue development, and this is also true of lung engineering. The fi eld of lung regeneration is currently working to produce organ specifi c biomaterials capable of meeting the needs of the lung. This is an important step towards the development of functional lung tissue worthy of clinical application. Early scientists made many discoveries in scaffold design and production of biomaterials which allow attachment of cells and subsequent formation of tissue. Variable degrees of success have been achieved in the development of hydrogels as scaffolds for engineering a variety of organs, including the lung. Hydrogels vary in their composition architecture, degradability, and mechanical capability. A number of hydrogels have been produced which are structurally similar to the extracellular matrix (ECM) of many tissues. Hydrogels can also be designed to be environmentally sensitive and react to small changes in pH, temperature, or even protein concentration, allowing them to function as sustained release delivery systems for drug or growth factor administration. Synthetic and natural hydrogels are capable of meeting some of the basic requirements for engineering lung tissue. This chapter will concentrate on applications of hydrogels in the tissue engineering of lung in terms of use as It is important to realize that our knowledge of the fi eld of regenerative medicine is constantly evolving and changing. Progress thus far in the fi eld of lung generation is the result of determined efforts by a vast array of multidisciplinary groups, which include researchers in the fi elds of chemistry, biotechnology, cell biology, physiology, chemical engineering, and medicine. Most engineering strategies rely on the utilization of a scaffold material to support tissue development, and this is also true of lung engineering. The fi eld of lung regeneration is currently working to produce organ specifi c biomaterials capable of meeting the needs of the lung. This is an important step towards the development of functional lung tissue worthy of clinical application. Early scientists made many discoveries in scaffold design and production of biomaterials which allow attachment of cells and subsequent formation of tissue. Variable degrees of success have been achieved in the development of hydrogels as scaffolds for engineering a variety of organs, including the lung. Hydrogels vary in their composition architecture, degradability, and mechanical capability. A number of hydrogels have been produced which are structurally similar to the extracellular matrix (ECM) of many tissues. Hydrogels can also be designed to be environmentally sensitive and react to small changes in pH, temperature, or even protein concentration, allowing them to function as sustained release delivery systems for drug or growth factor administration. Synthetic and natural hydrogels are capable of meeting some of the basic requirements for engineering lung tissue. This chapter will concentrate on applications of hydrogels in the tissue engineering of lung in terms of use as.