Hydrogels and conductive hydrogels for implantable bioelectronics

Hydrogels are a class of soft materials, which display unique biomimetic properties to biological tissues. Their mechanical properties, high water content, and porosity resemble that of extracellular matrix so that cell growth and proliferation can be reliably supported. In vitro studies report that mechanosensitive cells found in the central nervous system, such as astrocytes and glia, display reduced activation, thus promoting lower foreign body reaction, when cultured on hydrogel substrates of