Poly (lactide -co- glycolide) Fiber: An Overview

Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine is an exciting research area that aims at regenerative alternatives to harvested tissues for transplantation. Biomaterials play a pivotal role as scaffolds to provide three-dimensional templates and synthetic extracellular matrix environments for tissue regeneration. It is often beneficial for the scaffolds to mimic certain advantageous characteristics of the natural extracellular matrix, or developmental or wound healing programs. This article reviews current biomimetic materials approaches in tissue engineering. These include synthesis to achieve certain compositions or properties similar to those of the extracellular matrix, novel processing technologies to achieve structural features mimicking the extracellular matrix on various levels, approaches to emulate cell-extracellular matrix interactions, and biologic delivery strategies to recapitulate a signaling cascade or developmental/wound healing program. The article also provides examples of enhanced cellular/tissue functions and regenerative outcomes, demonstrating the excitement and significance of the biomimetic materials for tissue engineering and regeneration.

Bone tissue engineering is a rapidly developing area. Engineering bone typically uses an artificial extracellular matrix (scaffold), osteoblasts or cells that can become osteoblasts, and regulating factors that promote cell attachment, differentiation, and mineralized bone formation. Among them, highly porous scaffolds play a critical role in cell seeding, proliferation, and new 3D-tissue formation. A variety of biodegradable polymer materials and scaffolding fabrication techniques for bone tissue engineering have been investigated over the past decade. This article reviews the polymer materials, scaffold design, and fabrication methods for bone tissue engineering. Advantages and limitations of these materials and methods are analyzed. Various architectural parameters of scaffolds important for bone tissue engineering (e.g. porosity, pore size, interconnectivity, and pore-wall microstructures) are discussed. Surface modification of scaffolds is also discussed based on the significant effect of surface chemistry on cells adhesion and function.