Agarose-based biomaterials for tissue engineering

•Agarose has shown unique characteristics for tissue engineering applications.•Agarose can be an excellent candidate for controlled/localized drug delivery.•Agarose has resemblances to the extracellular matrix suitable for tissue engineering.•Agarose tunable properties make it suitable for various medicine-oriented applications.•Agarose exhibits controllable permeation for oxygen and nutrients.•Agarose has a low rejection potential against immune system due to its inert structure.•Agarose is a suitable biomaterial for cell-encapsulation because of high water uptake capability. Agarose is a natural polysaccharide polymer having unique characteristics that give reason to consider it for tissue engineering applications. Special characteristics of agarose such as its excellent biocompatibility, thermo-reversible gelation behavior and physiochemical features support its use as a biomaterial for cell growth and/or controlled/localized drug delivery. The resemblance of this natural carbohydrate polymer to the extracellular matrix results in attractive features that bring about a strong interest in its usage in the field. The scope of this review is to summarize the extensive researches addressing agarose-based biomaterials in order to provide an in-depth understanding of its tissue engineering-related applications.