Research Progress of Sodium Alginate-Based Hydrogels in Biomedical Engineering
September 2025
in “
Gels
”
Studysummary This review reports that sodium alginate-based hydrogels show promise in biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility and versatility, but challenges such as mechanical strength and stability remain, highlighting the need for continued research to facilitate their clinical transition. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
Sodium alginate-based hydrogels are highlighted for their potential in biomedical engineering due to their biocompatibility and versatility. Recent advancements have focused on improving their mechanical properties, functionalization, and biological characteristics through composite material construction, nano-reinforcement, and dynamic crosslinking. These hydrogels show promise in drug delivery, tissue engineering, and biosensing, although challenges like insufficient mechanical strength and stability persist. Future research aims to optimize performance and design intelligent materials to transition these hydrogels from laboratory research to clinical applications. Innovations such as microfluidic and cryogenic printing have enhanced their precision and scalability, while incorporating nanomaterials has added functionalities like conductivity and antibacterial activity. Despite challenges, these developments position sodium alginate-based hydrogels as promising materials for various biomedical applications.
