Roles of MXene-integrated multifunctional hydrogels in tissue regeneration therapy: construction, mechanisms, and biomedical applications

Abstract

Regeneration engineering of tissue injuries or defects associated with diseases, such as infection and inflammation, is one of the key challenges facing clinical medicine. The development of innovative tissue engineering strategies offers great potential for overcoming the limitations in regenerating damaged tissues. The MXene, as an emerging representative of two-dimensional nanomaterials, with multifunctional properties particularly in unique aqueous dispersibility, excellent electrical conductivity, and abundant surface termination groups, has been harvesting extensive attention and investigation in the multi-modal nanoplatform of biomedical field. In this review, the outstanding performances of MXenes and progresses in MXene-integrated novel hydrogels for tissue regeneration therapy are systematically explored from the regeneration and therapy of skin to theranostic of biotic tissues. Firstly, the synthesis and surface modifications of MXene are summarized, and then their advantages are highlighted. Accompanied by the integration of MXene in the hydrogel, there are two methods for preparing MXene-based hydrogels with a profound understanding of the roles and MXene-induced new/enhanced performances with multi-modal responsiveness of hydrogels. Importantly, recent advancements of MXene-based hydrogels in tissue engineering are discussed in detail for expanding further exploration in biomedical applications. Moreover, the challenges and perspectives in integrated regenerative therapies by MXene-based hydrogels are highlighted, aiming to provide fundamentally important research directions and potentially insightful revelations for tissue regeneration therapy.