Bioengineered membranes-past, present and future in tissue regeneration

Abstract

Regeneration of soft and hard tissue defects, although not impossible, is not always a predictable outcome. Tissue Engineering has shown to be successful in regenerating such defects with the objective of development of a new functional tissue structure which is either scaffold-based or not. Currently, the barrier membranes are being used as a physical barrier for the growth of unwanted epithelial and connective tissue cells while promoting the growth of desired cells like those of periodontal ligament and bone cells, which is quite appreciable. But due to the various drawbacks of the conventional membranes, TE has led to the development of functionally enhanced membranes processed by a variety of techniques and materials which overcome the demerits of the currently used barrier membranes. The objectives of this review are to compare the resorbable and non-resorbable barrier membranes used in tissue regeneration, their properties, applications, merits and demerits and future advances.