Utilization of Hydrogels in Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Based Therapy for Kidney Diseases

Kidney diseases are major global health problems, with high prevalence and mortality. However, current treatment strategies for kidney diseases fail to achieve satisfactory efficacy. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapy has been a promising strategy for treating kidney diseases. Preclinical studies have proven their safety and effectiveness in treating acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), but the outcomes of clinical trials have shown very limited clinical efficacy. A variety of innovative approaches have been proposed to enhance the therapeutic potential of MSCs, and hydrogels are attractive candidates. Hydrogels are three-dimensional (3D) networks formed by hydrophilic polymers of natural or synthetic origin with diverse physical and chemical properties. They have been widely applied in the field of drug delivery and regenerative medicine, including MSC-based therapy. Many studies have proven that hydrogels can improve the therapeutic efficacy of MSCs for kidney diseases, but there are still challenges limiting the widespread application of this method. In this review, we introduce the application of MSCs in kidney diseases and the factors that influence therapeutic efficiency and focus on the beneficial effects of hydrogels in MSC-based therapy for AKI and CKD. Impact statementHydrogels have been widely applied in the field of drug delivery and regenerative medicine, including mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapy. Many studies have proven that hydrogels can improve the therapeutic efficacy of MSCs for kidney diseases, but only a few articles summarized the application of hydrogels in MSC-based therapy for kidney diseases. In this review, we focus on the beneficial effects of hydrogels in MSC-based therapy for acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease by introducing promising results in recent studies. We also discussed challenges in the clinical translation and widespread application of hydrogels in MSC-based therapy for kidney diseases.