Polymer-Based Scaffolds for Soft-Tissue Engineering

Abstract

Biomaterials have been used since ancient times. However, it was not until the late 1960s when their development prospered, increasing the research on them. In recent years, the study of biomaterials has focused mainly on tissue regeneration, requiring a biomaterial that can support cells during their growth and fulfill the function of the replaced tissue until its regeneration. These materials, called scaffolds, have been developed with a wide variety of materials and processes, with the polymer ones being the most advanced. For this reason, the need arises for a review that compiles the techniques most used in the development of polymer-based scaffolds. This review has focused on three of the most used techniques: freeze-drying, electrospinning and 3D printing, focusing on current and future trends. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of each of them have been compared.

Assessment of a PCL-3D Printing-Dental Pulp Stem Cells Triplet for Bone Engineering: An In Vitro Study

“…Figure 1 enables the appreciation of the regular morphology and interconnectivity of the macropores achieved on the printed scaffolds. Such morphologies or/and interconnectivity of the pores can be achieved with some other processing techniques, such as supercritical drying [ 11 ], freeze-drying [ 39 ], particulate or foam leaching [ 40 ], electrospinning [ 41 ], emulsion template [ 42 ] starch consolidation [ 43 ] or cryopolymerization [ 19 , 44 , 45 ] but it is difficult to design them in advance. However, these techniques present specific advantages such as enhanced cell adhesion or generating fibrillar scaffolds that mimic the structure of the Extra Cellular Matrix (ECM) in the case of electrospinning [ 41 ], freeze drying is a good choice for processing polysaccharides [ 46 ], particulate or foam leaching for combination of bioactive and resorbable components, thus, for developing a porous structure “in situ” that enable the ingrowth of new born tissue [ 40 ], emulsion template have produced degradable porous scaffolds suitable for the 3D culture of keratinocytes and fibroblasts [ 42 ], starch consolidation have been used for the production of ceramic porous scaffolds [ 43 ], cryopolymerization have shown to be useful for introducing chemical and physical cues that enhance osteogenesis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in bone regeneration [ 45 ] and supercritical drying have been used to obtain aerogels that maintain their native morphology at micro and nanoscale and may be useful for mimicking blood vessels [ 11 ].…”

Rheological and Microstructural Evaluation of Collagen-Based Scaffolds Crosslinked with Fructose

“…These scaffolds are biocompatible matrices fundamentally designed to provide the biological needs of the cells involved, as well as to offer a template for new tissue formation. Furthermore, they also contribute to the mechanical and structural integrity of the treated region [ 2 , 3 , 4 ].…”

The Role of Biopolymer-Based Materials in Obstetrics and Gynecology Applications: A Review

“…Biopolymers have been proposed to be a safer alternative to conventional polymers in many biomedical applications such as tissue engineering scaffolds [9,10], drug delivery [11], biosensing [12], wound healing [13], obstetrics, and gynecology [14,15]. The invention pertains to developing new innovational biopolymer-based materials still challenging.…”