May 7, 2014

A hydrogel that knows when to go



Rice University bioscaffold material degrades as bone grows to replace it

Rice University bioengineers have created a hydrogel that instantly turns from liquid to semisolid at close to body temperature – and then degrades at precisely the right pace.

The gel shows potential as a bioscaffold to support the regrowth of bone and other three-dimensional tissues in a patient’s body using the patient’s own cells to seed the process.