Nanoscale bioactive glass/injectable hydrogel composites for biomedical applications

The advances in nanotechnology have revolutionized the field of biomedical research by overcoming the shortcomings of conventional micron-scale biomaterials. Nanoscale bioactive glasses (NBGs) with higher surface reactivity as compared to the micro-sized bioactive glasses have a faster rate of dissolution and ion release in the physiological environments, and therefore, superior bioactivity and in turn tissue regenerative properties are expected. The incorporation of NBGs into polymeric hydrogels has shown to be a valuable strategy to take benefit from the inherent properties of both materials and to obtain multifunctional nanocomposite (NC) hydrogels suitable for diverse biomedical applications (e.g., tissue repair and regeneration). Such NC hydrogel biomaterials are highlighted in this chapter, in the context of tissue engineering.