Natural polymer-based scaffolds for soft tissue repair

Abstract

Soft tissues such as skin, muscle, and tendon are easily damaged due to injury from physical activity and pathological lesions. For soft tissue repair and regeneration, biomaterials are often used to build scaffolds with appropriate structures and tailored functionalities that can support cell growth and new tissue formation. Among all types of scaffolds, natural polymer-based scaffolds attract much attention due to their excellent biocompatibility and tunable mechanical properties. In this comprehensive mini-review, we summarize recent progress on natural polymer-based scaffolds for soft tissue repair, focusing on clinical translations and materials design. Furthermore, the limitations and challenges, such as unsatisfied mechanical properties and unfavorable biological responses, are discussed to advance the development of novel scaffolds for soft tissue repair and regeneration toward clinical translation.

Role of three-dimensional cell culture in therapeutics and diagnostics: an updated review

“…The most studied and used natural polymers include alginate, fibrinogen, collagen, and other polysaccharide and proteins which include chitosan and hyaluronic acid. Various methods are employed in the fabrication of such natural polymers to be used as scaffolds such as electrospinning, freeze-drying, and 3D printing [ 47 ]. Synthetic material: although natural polymers have certain advantages, they cannot fulfill all the requirements to fabricate scaffolds for wound healing applications.…”

“…The most studied and used natural polymers include alginate, fibrinogen, collagen, and other polysaccharide and proteins which include chitosan and hyaluronic acid. Various methods are employed in the fabrication of such natural polymers to be used as scaffolds such as electrospinning, freeze-drying, and 3D printing [ 47 ].…”

Biophysical cues of in vitro biomaterials-based artificial extracellular matrix guide cancer cell plasticity

“…Natural biomaterials exhibit high biocompatibility, including a surface chemistry that promotes cell adhesion and remodeling, as well as activates intrinsic biological signaling [ 20 ]. Therefore, polymers of natural origin such as polysaccharides (e.g., hyaluronic acid (HA), alginate or agarose) and proteins (e.g., collagen or gelatin) have been well investigated.…”

Biodegradable Polymer Electrospinning for Tendon Repairment

“…Firstly, a rational design of the stent source material is required [ 41 ]. Secondly, overcoming problems with mechanical properties and degradation rates requires improved stent-preparation techniques [ 42 ]. Natural biodegradable polymers, such as collagen and gelatin, usually share the common disadvantage of lacking mechanical properties and having uncontrolled degradation rates [ 43 ].…”