Biodegradable Polymers as the Pivotal Player in the Design of Tissue Engineering Scaffolds

Abstract

Biodegradable polymers play a pivotal role in in situ tissue engineering. Utilizing various technologies, researchers have been able to fabricate 3D tissue engineering scaffolds using biodegradable polymers. They serve as temporary templates, providing physical and biochemical signals to the cells and determining the successful outcome of tissue remodeling. Furthermore, a biodegradable scaffold also presents the fourth dimension for tissue engineering, namely time. The properties of the biodegradable polymer change over time, presenting continuously changing features during the degradation process. These changes become more complicated when different materials are combined together to fabricate a composite or heterogeneous scaffold. This review undertakes a systematic analysis of the basic characteristics of biodegradable polymers and describe recent advances in making composite biodegradable scaffolds for in situ tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The interaction between implanted biodegradable biomaterials and the in vivo environment are also discussed, including the properties and functional changes of the degradable scaffold, the local effect of degradation on the contiguous tissue and their evaluation using both in vitro and in vivo models.

Cradle-to-cradle: designing biomaterials to fit as truly biomimetic cell scaffolds– a review

“…As an example, Figure 3. Degradation processes, timeframe and toxicity of various synthetic biopolymers categorised according their primary degradation mechanism (bulk or surface erosion mechanism): POE (set for Polyorthoesters) [47] aliphatic and aromatic polyanhydrides with particular (PGS and PPS for Poly(glycerol sebacate) and Poly(polyol sebacate) respectively) [47-52] PFF for Poly(propylene) fumarate [47,53]; PU for Polyurethane [47,48,54] PCL for Poly(caprolactone), PLA and PGA for Poly(l-lactic acid) and Poly(glycolic acid) respectively [47,[54][55][56]. The average degradation rate is represented in plain blue, within the incertitude range (in patterned blue).…”

Tooth-Supporting Hard Tissue Regeneration Using Biopolymeric Material Fabrication Strategies

“…Fibrin degradation (fibrinolysis) is mainly regulated by the cell surface-associated plasmin, which is a complex of soluble plasminogen and plasminogen activators [ 90 , 95 ]. On the basis of the degradation mechanism, fibrinolysis may be the key player in the temporal and spatial arrangement to promote bone tissue regeneration and tissue infiltration into defects [ 96 , 97 , 98 ]. Therefore, controllable biodegradability and biological compatibility have practical potential for both 3D scaffolds and the characterization biopolymers for drug delivery systems with additional biologics, such as cells, enzymes, and growth factors, in order to promote hard tissue regeneration [ 99 , 100 , 101 ].…”

Precision 3D‐Printed Cell Scaffolds Mimicking Native Tissue Composition and Mechanics

“…[6,7] Besides mechanical and biochemical signals, the geometry of the ECM is essential to direct cellular response. [8][9][10][11] While this is the case for every organ type, there are specific tissues that emphasize the importance of highly resolved structures within the human body. These include for example the organization of individual cell layers within retinal tissue, [12] the basal membrane separating maternal from fetal blood in the placenta [13] or the alveoli located within the lung at the ends of the branched respiratory tract.…”