Nanostructured Injectable Cell Microcarriers for Tissue Regeneration

Abstract

Biodegradable polymer microspheres have emerged as cell carriers for the regeneration and repair of irregularly shaped tissue defects due to their injectability, controllable biodegradability and capacity for drug incorporation and release. Notably, recent advances in nanotechnology allowed the manipulation of the physical and chemical properties of the microspheres at the nanoscale, creating nanostructured microspheres mimicking the composition and/or structure of natural extracellular matrix. These nanostructured microspheres, including nanocomposite microspheres and nanofibrous microspheres, have been employed as cell carriers for tissue regeneration. They enhance cell attachment and proliferation, promote positive cell-carrier interactions and facilitate stem cell differentiation for target tissue regeneration. This review highlights the recent advances in nanostructured microspheres that are employed as injectable, biomimetic and cell-instructive cell carriers.

Bioresorbable Microspheres with Surface‐Loaded Nanosilver and Apatite as Dual‐Functional Injectable Cell Carriers for Bone Regeneration

“…Synthetic and nature‐derived biodegradable polymers were made into microspheres via various techniques like emulsion‐solvent evaporation or extraction and membrane emulsion, etc . Among them, methods used to fabricate microspheres with rough surface or porous structure are attractive in modulating cell attachment and proliferation, due to the well‐known contact guide effect . For instance, porous‐structured microspheres could be made by incorporating porogen into polymeric emulsions, followed by removal of the porogen after microsphere solidification .…”

Solid-State Synthesis of Water-Soluble Chitosan-g-Hydroxyethyl Cellulose Copolymers

“…For example, fabricated microparticles could be used as biodegradable multifunctional drug-loaded cell microcarriers. Such a type of advanced carrier contains a bioactive component within a polymeric core, and a surface layer supporting the adhesion and growth of anchorage-depended cells [40]. Since biodegradable particles are promising materials either in the form of nano/micro-particles as a drug/cell carrier, or as a starting material for the fabrication of 3D structures, developing new types of microparticles is of great importance [41,42].…”

Advanced Scaffolds for Dental Pulp and Periodontal Regeneration

“…74 In this way, nanostructured, self-assembling microspheres were employed (Fig. 3A–B) to deliver DPSCs into the pulpal space.…”