Mimicking Cartilage with Robust Hydrogels
A host of different cartilage tissue types exist and play critical roles in human function, but are often lost due to disease, injury, age, or congenital defect. Because of their hydrated nature, synthetic hydrogels have been considered potential replacements for cartilage. However, the complex bulk mechanical, and lubrication properties of cartilaginous tissues remain elusive to recapitulation.
What we are doing:
We are developing ultra-strong and ultra-stiff multi-network hydrogels to resurface joints and and to replace of other types of cartilage (e.g., tracheal cartilage).
Publications on this research
Cartilage-like tribological performance of charged double network hydrogels
Bonyadi, S.; Demott, C.J.; Grunlan, M.A.; Dunn, A.C. “Cartilage-like tribological performance of charged double network hydrogels,” J. Mech. Behav. Biomed. Mater. 2021, 114, 104202.
View the ArticleModern strategies to achieve tissue-mimetic, mechanically robust hydrogels
Means, A.K.; Grunlan, M.A. “Modern strategies to achieve tissue-mimetic, mechanically robust hydrogels,” ACS Macro Lett., 2019, 8, 705-713.
View the ArticleDouble network hydrogels that mimic the modulus, strength and lubricity of cartilage
Means, A.K.; Shrode, C.A.; Whitney, L.V.; Ehrhardt, D.A.; Grunlan, M.A. “Double network hydrogels that mimic the modulus, strength and lubricity of cartilage,” Biomacromolecules, 2019, 20, 2034-2042.
View the Article