Engineering cell attachments to scaffolds in cartilage tissue engineering

Abstract

One of the challenges of tissue engineering, a promising cell-based treatment for damaged or diseased cartilage, is designing the scaffold that provides structure while the tissue regenerates. In addition to the scaffold material’s biocompatibility, mechanical properties, and ease of manufacturing, scaffold interactions with the cells must also be considered. In cartilage tissue engineering, a range of scaffolds with various degrees of cell attachment have been proposed, but the attachment density and type have yet to be optimized. Several techniques have been developed to modulate cell adhesion to the scaffold. These studies suggest that the need for cell attachment in cartilage tissue engineering may vary with cell type, stage of differentiation, culture condition, and scaffold material. Further studies will elucidate the role of cell attachment in cartilage regeneration and enhance efforts to engineer cell-based cartilage therapies.