Nano-Engineered Scaffold for Osteoarticular Regenerative Medicine

Abstract

In the last decade, regenerative medicine has benefited from the exponential development of nanomaterial sciences, tissue engineering and cell-based therapies. More and more sophisticated designed structures and surface topologies are being developed to basically mimic the extracellular matrix of native tissues such as cartilage and bone. Here we give an overview of the progress made in osteochondral lesion repair, with nano-engineered scaffolds comprising building blocks such as nanoparticles, nanotubes, layer-by-layer nano-assemblies, molecular self-assembly, nanopatterned surfaces…. This nano-engineering technology is coupled with bio-functionalization, by the use of adhesion peptides, growth factors, or deoxyribonucleic acid, to drive cell adhesion, proliferation and behavior towards tissue regeneration. In osteochondral regeneration, the challenge is the simultaneous development of chondrocytes and cartilage extracellular matrix on the one side and a well vascularized bone tissue with osteoblasts on the other side. g y