Cited by 85Supramolecular Self-Assembly in MaterialsHydrogels: synthesis, properties, applicationsTissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

The Role of Extracellular Matrix (ECM) Adhesion Motifs in Functionalised Hydrogels

Open access
Morwood, Anna J., El-Karim, Ikhlas A., Clarke, Susan A., Lundy, Fionnuala T.·2023·Molecules

Abstract

To create functional tissue engineering scaffolds, biomaterials should mimic the native extracellular matrix of the tissue to be regenerated. Simultaneously, the survival and functionality of stem cells should also be enhanced to promote tissue organisation and repair. Hydrogels, but in particular, peptide hydrogels, are an emerging class of biocompatible scaffolds which act as promising self-assembling biomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative therapies, ranging from articular cartilage regeneration at joint defects, to regenerative spinal cord injury following trauma. To enhance hydrogel biocompatibility, it has become imperative to consider the native microenvironment of the site for regeneration, where the use of functionalised hydrogels with extracellular matrix adhesion motifs has become a novel, emerging theme. In this review, we will introduce hydrogels in the context of tissue engineering, provide insight into the complexity of the extracellular matrix, investigate specific adhesion motifs that have been used to generate functionalised hydrogels and outline their potential applications in a regenerative medicine setting. It is anticipated that by conducting this review, we will provide greater insight into functionalised hydrogels, which may help translate their use towards therapeutic roles.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.3390/molecules28124616

Cites

129 of 129 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • 3D-printed bioengineered scaffolds are designed to mimic native bone and cartilage structure, supporting cell adhesion, migration, and differentiation for improved regenerative outcomes.

    “One emerging area of biomimetic research involves 3D-printed bioengineered scaffolds. These personalized scaffolds are designed to mimic native bone and cartilage structure, supporting cell adhesion, migration, and differentiation for improved regenerative outcomes [121].”

    From Advancements in Regenerative Therapies for Orthopedics: A Comprehensive Review of Platelet-Rich Plasma, Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Peptide Therapies, and Biomimetic Applications (2025) · cites this paper as [121]

    Section 1.3 describes scaffolds modified to mimic features of native extracellular matrix and promote cell adhesion; section 5.1 reports that functionalised hydrogels can support chondrogenic differentiation and replicate characteristics of cartilage ECM. The copy does not establish that these scaffolds are personalized or 3D-printed, mimic native bone and cartilage structure, or support cell migration. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. [4]Wang W. Narain R. Zeng H. Chapter 10—Hydrogels Polymer Science and Nanotechnology Narain R. Elsevier Amsterdam, The Netherlands 2020 203 244
  2. [15]Willerth S.M. Sakiyama-Elbert S.E. Combining Stem Cells and Biomaterial Scaffolds for Constructing Tissues and Cell Delivery StemBook Harvard Stem Cell Institute Boston, MA, USA 2008 20614610
  3. [51]Tam R.Y. Owen S.C. Shoichet M.S. ECM-Inspired Chemical Cues: Biomimetic Molecules and Techniques of Immobilization Bio-Inspired Materials for Biomedical Engineering Wiley Hoboken, NJ, USA 2014 5 24
  4. [65]Varki A. Cummings R. Esko J. Essentials of Glycobiology Proteoglycans and Glycosaminoglycans—Chapter 11 4th ed. National Library of Medicine Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory Press Woodbury, NY, USA 1999
  5. [69]Berman L.H. Hargreaves K.M. Cohen’s Pathways of the Pulp 12th ed. Elsevier Amsterdam, The Netherlands 2021

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Morwood, A. J., El-Karim, I. A., Clarke, S. A., & Lundy, F. T.
Affiliations
  • Queen's University Belfast (GB)
  • Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7BL, UK
Corresponding author
Lundy, Fionnuala T.
Venue
Molecules
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2023-06-07
Volume
28
Issue
12
Pages
4616
ISSN
1420-3049 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4380050563
Cited by
85
References
129
Citations by year
2026: 30 · 2025: 36 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 1
FWCI
1.50
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Molecules (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Research Portal (Queen's University Belfast) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Biomaterials › Supramolecular Self-Assembly in Materials
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Medicine › Hydrogels: synthesis, properties, applications
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Surgery › Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
Keywords
extracellular matrix, peptide hydrogels, tissue engineering scaffolds, stem cell survival, cartilage regeneration, spinal cord injury, regenerative medicine, hydrogel biocompatibility
MeSH terms
Tissue Adhesions, Biocompatible Materials, Extracellular Matrix, Humans, Hydrogels, Tissue Engineering, Tissue Scaffolds

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review