The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

Natural polymer-based hydrogels have attracted increasing attention in tissue engineering owing to their intrinsic biocompatibility, biodegradability, and structural similarity to biological tissues. In this study, we investigate a ternary natural polymer-based hydrogel system designed for non-invasive dermal filler applications. The hydrogel was formulated by combining low-molecular-weight collagen, hyaluronic acid, and alginate to construct a multi-component polymer network exhibiting enhanced water retention and skin-adaptive viscoelastic properties. Here, we present the synthesis and comprehensive characterization of the structural, physical, mechanical, and rheological properties of the hydrogels. The results demonstrate composition-dependent viscoelasticity, highlighting the role of interpolymer interactions in achieving mechanically robust performance. Moreover, the potential of this system as a promising platform for non-invasive dermal filler applications is discussed.