Protein-based Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering

Hydrogels are the polymers that can swell in the water and maintain large amounts of water without dissolution,and are very similar to the biological organism tissues.The protein-based hydrogels,which are known as the most potential biomaterials for tissue engineering,have good biocompatibility and biodegradability,and are mainly applied in tissue engineering to restore,maintain or improve the damaged tissues and the morphology and function of organs for the purpose of repair and regeneration.In this paper,the research progress in natural and synthetic protein-based hydrogels for tissue engineering is reviewed,and their advantages,disadvantages and developing direction are pointed out.