2 - The role of scaffolds in tissue engineering

Abstract

There are two issues for tissue engineering: suitable materials and proper fabricating techniques. In the last decades, various materials, such as polymers, ceramics, and metals, have been studied to fabricate scaffolds, and a multiple of techniques have been investigated in this area, including a top-down approach that uses a biodegradable polymeric scaffolds, 3D printing, a bottom-up approach using cell sheets, and layer-by-layer cell assembly. We provide an in-depth discussion of nanoscale surface and surface topography for tissue engineering scaffolds. The complex interrelation between focal adhesion, traction forces, and nanoscale ligand patterns of the surface structures and chemistry, and scaffold-regulated signaling and gene expression that underlie cellular processes during development, homeostasis, wound healing, and cancer invasion are presented. In addition, current strategies used in scaffold-mediated multimodal delivery as reservoirs to extend the releasing of therapeutics and scaffold-mediated cell separation are presented.