組織工学・再生医療におけるアルギン酸塩系バイオマテリアルの応用と課題
Alginate, a naturally derived anionic polysaccharide extracted from brown seaweed, possesses several advantageous properties including strong biocompatibility, minimal cytotoxicity, economic viability, and the capacity for mild gelation induced by divalent cations such as calcium. These characteristics have driven its adoption across tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, encompassing drug delivery systems, wound healing scaffolds, and oncology-related applications. Nevertheless, several technical obstacles remain: high-molecular-weight alginate exhibits poor solubility and elevated viscosity, dense intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonding complicates processing, and the polyelectrolyte behavior of aqueous solutions limits formulation options. This review consolidates current research directions, identifies persistent challenges, and outlines future opportunities for alginate-based composite materials in biomedical contexts.
Alginate undergoes ionic crosslinking with divalent cations such as Ca²⁺, forming hydrogel networks that serve as biocompatible scaffolds for cell encapsulation and tissue support.
The delivery route is not clearly identifiable from this paper. For hydrogen intake, inhalation is the most efficient route; inhalation, however, carries explosion risk (empirical LFL of 10%; high-concentration devices are not recommended).
See also:
https://h2-papers.org/en/papers/36976238