Recent research trends in gradient hydrogels for various biomedical applications

Hydrogels have made significant contributions to biomedical applications in recent years and have made remarkable progress. However, uniform hydrogels have limitations in mimicking the in vivo environment. Gradient hydrogels are attracting attention as innovative biomaterials that can effectively mimic the properties of complex biological tissues by implementing continuous changes in physical, chemical, and biological properties. To contribute to the exploration of the development of scaffolds utilizing gradient hydrogels and their potential applications, this work comprehensively reviews the latest research trends focusing on the major fabrication methods of gradient hydrogels (bioprinting, diffusion method, microfluidic technology, and multilayer structure design) and application cases of each technology. In addition, the applicability and performance of gradient hydrogels in the field of tissue engineering are discussed in depth. Despite these developments, the challenges remain in precise controlling gradient formation, ensuring long-term stability, and achieving scalable fabrication for clinical applications. Taken together, the future research directions of gradient hydrogel design and fabrication to overcome them is discussed.

Graphical abstract

We summarize about the latest trends in the fabrication of gradient hydrogels and their various applications in tissue engineering. We also look at their challenges and future perspectives.