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Abstract: Recent studies on hydrogels have shown them as promising biomaterials for numerous applications involving tissue engineering, drug-screening, drug-delivery, and 3-D bioprinting because they show unique physicochemical properties. The ability of these structures to hold large amounts of water is because of their hydrophilic nature that provides a soft and hydrated environment like natural tissues. This makes them ideal for mimicking the extracellular matrix and supporting cell growth and proliferation. In tissue engineering, hydrogels might be used to create scaffolds that promote cell growth and facilitate tissue regeneration. Hydrogels can also be engineered in such a way that they intimate the mechanical and biochemical in vivo characteristics making them a versatile tool for applications in tissue engineering. Hydrogels are being used in drug screening, as they can be functionalized with different biochemicals in order to match the microenvironment of specific tissues. This allows researchers to study how drugs interact with cells and tissues in-vitro conditions, which can lead to more efficient strategies for drug development. For applications in drug delivery hydrogels are designed to release drugs in a sustainable and controlled way, improving the drug efficacy and reducing the toxicity of drugs. Designing can also be done in a way that they can target specific tissues and cells making them a promising tool for personalized medicine. Hydrogels are being used in 3-D bioprinting, where they serve as bio-inks that can be fabricated into complex structures with high precision. In comparison to conventional technologies, this is a promising technique that allows the construction of complex three-dimensional structures in a sequential manner by a computeraided system. One major challenge in bioprinting is finding such material that is suitable for printing and also satisfies the mechanical strength requisite for tissue engineering applications. That is where hydrogels serve as the most appropriate model and have encouraging or favorable operation potential as cell-affable materials. This technique has revolutionized tissue engineering by allowing researchers to create functional tissues and organoids and spheroids. Overall, hydrogel-based tissue engineering, drug screening, drug delivery, and 3D bioprinting are exciting areas of research with great potential to significantly impact different areas of medicine and biology.
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