A review on injectable chitosan/beta glycerophosphate hydrogels for bone tissue regeneration

Tissue engineering (TE) is a promising approach for repairing diseased and damaged bone tissue. Injectable hydrogel based strategies offer a wide range of applications in rapid recovery of bone defects by acting as filler materials and depots for delivering various bioactive molecules and averting the need for surgical intervention. Chitosan (CS), a natural polysaccharide, forms a thermosensitive injectable hydrogel through the addition of beta-glycerophosphate (β-GP). This hybrid hydrogel possesses numerous advantages namely mimicking native extracellular matrix (ECM) and providing an amenable microenvironment for cell growth. In this review, a brief insight into the gelation mechanism of CS/GP hydrogels, modifications, bioactive additives and their applications in treating bone defects are presented.