Chapter 2 - Synthetic polymeric biomaterials for tissue engineering

Abstract

Polymeric biomaterials play important roles in a wide variety of medical devices, diagnostic systems, and pharmaceutical formulations. During the past few decades, tremendous amounts of new polymeric biomaterials have been developed in association with the emergence and fast growth of the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. These polymeric scaffolds, most often made of biodegradable synthetic polymers and natural macromolecules, play a pivotal role in tissue engineering and are used in the regeneration of essentially all tissue types. This chapter will focus on the state-of-the-art synthetic polymeric scaffolds and discuss exciting recent advancements. First, the general concepts and requirements of tissue engineering biomaterials are introduced. Second, various types of polymeric biomaterials used in tissue engineering are reviewed. Third, important fabrication technologies of 3D scaffolds and their porous structural characterizations are discussed. Fourth, the surface modification and composite scaffold fabrication techniques are presented as ways to improve the properties and function of various polymer scaffolds. Then advanced nanostructured polymer scaffolds and biomolecule-delivering scaffolds are highlighted. At the end, conclusions and future perspectives of the polymeric materials for tissue engineering are briefly discussed.