Research progress on preparation methods and tissue engineering applications of dextran-based hydrogels

Dextran is a kind of high water-soluble natural polysaccharide, which is secreted by bacteria. The hydrogels prepared by dextran exhibits excellent biocompatiblity and biodegradability. Through modification, dextran could be functionalized and crosslinked, and applied in the fields of substance separation, drug delivery and tissue engineering. This review summarized physical and chemical crosslinking methods of dextran-based hydrogels. Additionally, the applications of tissue engineering field in recent years, the existing problems and the future developments are presented and discussed. Key words: Dextran; Hydrogels; Tissue engineering