Nanodiamonds for tissue engineering and regeneration

Abstract

Tissue engineering mainly mimics the native cell environment for cell growth and regeneration. In regard to this strategy, different materials have been used for fabrication of cell support in an in vivo resembling ambience. An ideal tissue engineering scaffold provides biocompatible, three-dimensional (3D), porous structure with tissue-specific properties such as the electrical conductivity in neural tissue and controlled biodegradability. Therefore, the precise selection of biopolymers and nanomaterials with properties of non-interfering biological processes, like cell proliferation and differentiation plays an important role in the successful scaffold design and final outcome in tissue engineering. Nanodiamonds (NDs) are carbon-based nanomaterials and possess remarkable features including biocompatibility, high surface area, optical properties, chemical stability, excellent mechanical and physical properties, highly functional surfaces, and highly resistant to harsh environments, which make them highly validated as multi-functional materials for biomedical applications. These characteristics have recently attracted much attention in the area of regenerative medicine from the scaffold to prosthesis designing. This review will discuss the extensive applications of NDs in different scopes of regenerative medicine, including tissue engineering, however, the main focus will be on neural regeneration.