Scientists have made a big step forward in healing soft tissues. They created a special gel that can be 3D printed. This gel is made from a protein that acts like collagen, a key part of our skin and other soft tissues. The gel is special because it forms under normal conditions. It doesn't need harsh chemicals or external triggers. Instead, it uses a natural reacti...
Scientists are exploring fish gelatin as a potential building block for lab-grown meat. This isn't just about making meat without harming animals or the environment. Fish gelatin is also quite friendly for cells to grow on. Researchers discovered that fish gelatin can be transformed into hydrogels. These hydrogels are easy to shape and hold water well. This is crucia...
Hydrogels are a big deal in the world of medical tech. They are flexible and play nice with the body. They can be used to track how the body is doing. But there is a catch. Making them strong, stretchy, and conductive is tough. It is like trying to make a rubber band that can also carry electricity and not break easily. A new type of hydrogel has been created. It is...
Cartilage repair is a tough job. Why? Because cartilage does not have blood vessels or cells. This makes it hard for the body to fix itself. But there is hope. Scientists are working on a solution using injectable hydrogels. These are like tiny, flexible sponges that can be injected into the body. They have shown great promise in helping cartilage grow back. Injecta...
Crafting gelators with specific traits is a tough job. It usually means tweaking existing molecules. But even small changes can mess up the gelation process. So, what if there was a way to boost gels without messing with their structure? This is where silver nanoparticles and trisodium citrate come into play. They can enhance the stability and sustainability of hydr...
The body's tissues are built tough, thanks to collagen. Collagen fibers run in specific directions, giving tissues their strength and stability. Scientists have been trying to copy this design. They have had a hard time making models that match the size and direction of natural tissues. Now, a breakthrough has been made. Scientists created new collagen tissues. ...
Wounds are a big deal in medicine. They are not easy to fix. So, scientists are always looking for new ways to help them heal faster and better. One exciting area of research is using electricity to speed up the healing process. This is where electrical hydrogels come into play. These are special gels that can conduct electricity and have some amazing properties. The...
Imagine trying to build something with a material that keeps shrinking. That's a big problem in tissue engineering. Scientists have been using collagen-based hydrogels, which are great for growing cells, but they have a nasty habit of shrinking when cells interact with them. This makes it hard to create stable structures for things like drug testing or even growing n...
Have you ever heard of using magnets to cook cancer cells? Well, researchers have discovered a cool way to use magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles mixed with a gel to heat up tumors from the inside. This jelly, called IT-MG, can react to special radio waves, getting hot enough to kill cancer cells where it matters most. In lab tests, IT-MG heated tumor models to a comf...
Intrauterine Adhesions, or IUA, can make it tough for women to have babies. These adhesions happen when the inside of the womb gets injured. Surgery is usually how doctors fix this, but lately, they've been trying something new: hydrogels. These are like tiny sponges that can help heal damaged tissue and stop adhesions from coming back. They can also slowly release m...