Materials in particulate form for tissue engineering. 2. Applications in bone

Abstract

Materials in particulate form have been the subjects of intensive research in view of their use as drug delivery systems. While within this application there are still issues to be addressed, these systems are now being regarded as having a great potential for tissue engineering applications. Bone repair is a very demanding task, due to the specific characteristics of skeletal tissues, and the design of scaffolds for bone tissue engineering presents several difficulties. Materials in particulate form are now seen as a means of achieving higher control over parameters such as porosity, pore size, surface area and the mechanical properties of the scaffold. These materials also have the potential to incorporate biologically active molecules for release and to serve as carriers for cells. It is believed that the combination of these features would create a more efficient approach towards regeneration. This review focuses on the application of materials in particulate form for bone tissue engineering. A brief overview of bone biology and the healing process is also provided in order to place the application in its broader context. An original compilation of molecules with a documented role in bone tissue biology is listed, as they have the potential to be used in bone tissue engineering strategies. To sum up this review, examples of works addressing the above aspects are presented. JOURNAL OF TISSUE ENGINEERING AND REGENERATIVE MEDICINE R E V I E W A R T I C L E AbstractMaterials in particulate form have been the subjects of intensive research in view of their use as drug delivery systems. While within this application there are still issues to be addressed, these systems are now being regarded as having a great potential for tissue engineering applications. Bone repair is a very demanding task, due to the specific characteristics of skeletal tissues, and the design of scaffolds for bone tissue engineering presents several difficulties. Materials in particulate form are now seen as a means of achieving higher control over parameters such as porosity, pore size, surface area and the mechanical properties of the scaffold. These materials also have the potential to incorporate biologically active molecules for release and to serve as carriers for cells. It is believed that the combination of these features would create a more efficient approach towards regeneration. This review focuses on the application of materials in particulate form for bone tissue engineering. A brief overview of bone biology and the healing process is also provided in order to place the application in its broader context. An original compilation of molecules with a documented role in bone tissue biology is listed, as they have the potential to be used in bone tissue engineering strategies. To sum up this review, examples of works addressing the above aspects are presented.

Materials in particulate form for tissue engineering. 1. Basic concepts

“…Further details on ceramic materials in bone tissue engineering can be found in the second part of this review (Silva et al, •2006). …”

Incorporation of PLGA nanoparticles into porous chitosan–gelatin scaffolds: Influence on the physical properties and cell behavior

“…Such a system primarily acts as a local regulator to control doses and kinetics of released growth factor, thus increasing their potential retention time at therapeutic concentration levels (Kobsa andSaltzman, 2008 andSilvia et al, 2007).…”

Preparation and characterization of starch-poly-ε-caprolactone microparticles incorporating bioactive agents for drug delivery and tissue engineering applications

“…Dexamethasone (DEX) has been widely used in clinical applications to treat immuno-disorders [41,42], but a more specific and common use has been the control of the inflammatory response and tissue repair during organ transplantation [43]. In the last years, the use of this corticosteroid as an osteogenic agent has increased considerably in in vitro cell culture to induce the differentiation of stem cells into an osteoblastic lineage [41,[44][45][46].…”