Biodegradable natural and synthetic polymers for the development of electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds for various tissue engineering applications

Abstract

Following a tissue injury/ damage, the regeneration of cells at the affected area is very critical. Fewer cell types like dermal cells are capable of cellular division to a smaller extent. But following more significant cellular damage, there comes an urgent need to replace these defective cells or tissues, where most traditional approaches of medicinal treatments fail. Tissue engineering offers an alternative solution that is more ideal under these circumstances. It is an interdisciplinary field of science that tries to integrate life science into engineering principles with the purpose of replacing damaged cells/tissues. In addition, the overall process of tissue growth and differentiation in vivo requires the presence of various growth factors at the nano-sized range. The current trend is to encompass nanotechnology along with tissue engineering aspects. Scaffolds being the most important component of tissue engineering application, the electrospinning process is used to generate nanofibrous scaffolds. Electrospinning makes use of different natural and synthetic polymers. These polymers can provide structural support upon which cellular growth occurs and hence these polymers are suitable for various biomedical applications. This review study attempts to cover the basics of the electrospinning process, different natural and synthetic polymers and their significant biomedical applications.