Polyelectrolyte Hydrogels for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

Polyelectrolyte hydrogels are emerging materials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications due to their tunable biochemical properties, electrical conductivity, biocompatibility and similar network structure to the extracellular matrix in mammalian bodies. In this review, representative polyelectrolyte hydrogels carrying anionic, cationic, ampholytic, zwitterionic and ionic liquid moieties are systemically cataloged to express their chemical structures and preparation strategies. Recent advance of polyelectrolyte hydrogels in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine for drug delivery, skin healing, bone regeneration, cardiac tissue repair and anti‐biofouling coating are also highlighted. Eventually, the outlook and challenges of polyelectrolyte hydrogels and their biomedical material applications are also discussed to offer future directions. Polyelectrolyte hydrogels present unique physicochemical properties and conductivity due to the existence of ionic moieties in the hydrogel skeletons. This review presents an overview of polyelectrolyte hydrogels organized by their chemical structures and preparation methods. Recent applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine for drug delivery, skin healing, bone regeneration and cardiac tissue repair are highlighted.