Tissue engineered scaffold fabrication methods for medical applications

Abstract

Donor shortage for organ transplantations is a major clinical challenge worldwide. Potential risks inevitably encountered with traditional methods include complications, secondary injuries, and, most importantly, limited donor sources. Today, researchers from multiple disciplinary areas, including biomaterials, biology, and nanotechnology in tissue engineering, attempt to bio-fabricate virtually every human tissue or organ. Tissue engineering techniques generally require the use of a porous scaffold, which serves as a three-dimensional template for initial cell attachment and subsequent tissue formation both in vitro and in vivo. The scaffold provides the necessary support for cells to attach, grow, proliferate, and maintain their differentiated function. This article represents a concise summary of different procedures for fabricating sponge-like and fibrous scaffolds using a variety of technologies. First, we will discuss different approaches that allow us to create fibers, which have long been recognized as the primary constituent in 3D scaffolds. These methods include electrospinning and microfluidic-based methods, among others. Following that, the various techniques for fabricating 3D scaffolds, ranging from simple to complex structures, as well as evaluating their advantages and disadvantages, will be explored.