Collagen-Based Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering Applications

Abstract

Over the past three decades, bone tissue engineering (BTE) has garnered significant interest as a potential alternative to autografts and allografts for the repair and regeneration of damaged or diseased bone. BTE entails the use of a viable scaffold, cells and chemical factors to stimulate the formation of functional bone tissue. While a plethora of different materials have been investigated to develop scaffolds for BTE applications, collagen type I is the most extensively studied because it is highly biocompatible, biodegradable, and presents a natural environment to the cells. In this chapter, we present a brief background on BTE and highlight the advantages and limitations of using collagen type I as a biomaterial for BTE applications. Further, we describe the most common scaffold fabrication methodologies that have been employed for the synthesis of collagen-based scaffolds for BTE applications. In vitro and in vivo findings from some of the key studies in the literature that use collagen-based scaffolds for bone repair and regeneration are highlighted. Additionally, advantages and limitations of FDA approved collagen-based scaffolds that are currently used in the clinic for bone applications are also discussed. Finally, some of the current challenges associated with the use of collagen-based scaffolds for BTE applications are identified and areas of future research that have the potential to address these challenges and aid in the development of biomimetic collagen-based scaffolds for the repair and regeneration of functional bone tissue are discussed.