Introduction: Photosensitive polymers are emerging as a new method of tissue engineering with great prospects for hard tissue in terms of bone, and cartilage, and dental tissue regeneration. Such materials experience property transformations upon light exposure, which allows us to control biocompatibility and direct cell differentiation with a high degree of precision and allows us to gett rid of the limitations of traditional methods.
Materials and Methods: Systematic searches of databases were performed in PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of science (2010-2024) according to the following combinations of keywords: photosensitive polymers and tissue engineering; photosensitive polymers and hard tissue regeneration; and photosensitive polymers and bone tissue engineering. English-language peer-reviewed research articles concerning photosensitive polymer sections in hard tissue regeneration were included.
Results: There were a total of 89 studies included out of 1,247 identified articles. Important polymers were poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA), gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA), and hyaluronic acid methacrylate (HAMA). These materials showed the ability to form 3D scaffolds with adjustable mechanical properties, biocompatibility and growth factor release. 3D bioprinting using photosensitive polymers gave us the potential to fabricate complex bone structures.
Discussion: In this analysis, there was high potential concerning photosensitive polymers in dentistry as far as hard tissue regeneration is concerned. They have the benefits of tunable mechanical properties, excellent control of polymerization and the ability to make complex structures. Ongoing issues are the cytotoxicity of photosensitive polymers and low transparency of light through thick constructs.
Conclusion: Photosensitive polymers can be considered an optimistic approach for hard tissue regeneration. The recent developments of 3D bioprinting and the development of new polymers point towards their high clinical application potential. Future research must provide answers to the existing difficulties, develop optimal formulations, and carry out a single clinical research study.
