What is a common application of hydrogels in tissue engineering?

Hydrogels are widely recognized for their versatility in tissue engineering applications, particularly in drug delivery systems. This is largely due to their unique properties, including high water content and tunable mechanical and chemical characteristics, which make them ideal carriers for therapeutic agents.

In drug delivery systems, hydrogels can release drugs in a controlled manner, responding to specific physiological conditions such as pH or temperature changes. This capability enhances the efficacy of treatments, allowing for localized and sustained delivery of drugs directly to the target tissue, reducing systemic side effects and improving patient outcomes. Additionally, the biocompatibility of hydrogels aligns well with biological tissues, making them suitable for interaction within the body without causing adverse reactions.

While hydrogels can also have roles in other applications, these tend to be secondary compared to their primary function in drug delivery within the realm of tissue engineering. Their use in bone repair, for example, would be more specific to composite materials rather than pure hydrogels, which are less suited for the mechanical demands of bone. Likewise, while they could technically be involved in encapsulating viruses for some therapeutic strategies, this is not a primary use case within tissue engineering itself.