Injectable hydrogels that promote mineralization and afford sustained release of bioactive ions

摘要

The present invention provides a hybrid hydrogel stabilized by multivalent cross-linking domains. The hydrogel combines inorganic nanoparticles along with an organic polymer network. The resulting material has reinforced mechanical properties and significant mineralization, and affords sustained long-term release of ions. Furthermore, ions released from the hydrogel can enhance cell spreading and promote the osteogenic differentiation of implanted cells. These promising results indicates that the provided compositions and methods are particularly appealing for bone regenerative applications.