Hydrogels for 3D-printed breast scaffolds on esthetic, functional, and oncological safety: A review.
Li Z., Wang S., Tan Q.
Narrative Review, published in J Appl Biomater Funct Mater (2026) — summary generated from the PubMed abstract.
Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.
- Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
- Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
- Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
- Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
- Emerging · Emerging topic under active research
This page is generated from the PubMed record. The Thai description is an automated summary of bibliographic fields and the abstract, not a full translation, and is not medical advice.
- Study type
- Narrative Review
- Journal
- J Appl Biomater Funct Mater (2026)
- Country
- United States
- Reported sample size
- —
- Source database
- PubMed
- PMID
- 41840808
- DOI
- 10.1177/22808000261431929
Abstract (original English)
Breast volume loss after cancer surgery severely affects patients' physical and psychological well-being, while traditional reconstruction methods such as prosthetic implantation and autologous tissue transfer are limited by complications, donor-site morbidity, and poor long-term stability. To address these issues, this review summarizes recent advances in hydrogel-based 3D-printed scaffolds for breast reconstruction. The review focuses on the use of different 3D bioprinting techniques in scaffold manufacture and compares natural and synthetic hydrogels in terms of biocompatibility, mechanical properties, and biodegradability. It also involves core design principles for scaffolds to meet the unique anatomical and functional requirements of the breast, including tunable softness, promotion of vascularization, and tissue integration. Furthermore, recent applications of hydrogel-based 3D printing in adipose tissue regeneration and nipple-areola complex reconstruction are discussed in detail. The findings indicate that natural hydrogels provide advantages in cell viability and differentiation due to their biocompatibility, while synthetic hydrogels offer tunability and structural stability for long-term support. Combining the two materials can enhance reconstruction outcomes. It further addresses challenges and prospective directions in 3D printing hydrogels in breast reconstructio
What this study does not prove
- • This study does not prove SVF is an approved treatment or a replacement for standard care.
- • This is a narrative review: it collects no new patient data and does not systematically appraise evidence quality.
Evidence level
Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.
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