Recent Applications of Polymeric Biomaterials and Stem Cells in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

Abstract

Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine strategies could offer new hope for patients with serious tissue injuries or end-stage organ failure. Scientists are now applying the principles of cell transplantation, material science, and engineering to create biological substitutes that can restore and maintain normal function in diseased or injured tissues/ organs. Specifically, creation of engineered tissue construct requires a polymeric biomaterial scaffold that serves as a cell carrier, which would provide structural support until native tissue forms in vivo. Even though the requirements for scaffolds may be different depending on the target applications, a general function of scaffolds that need to be fulfilled is biodegradability, biological and mechanical properties, and temporal structural integrity. The scaffold's internal architecture should also enhance the permeability of nutrients and neovascularization. In addition, the stem cell field is advancing, and new discoveries in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine will lead to new therapeutic strategies. Although use of stem cells is still in the research phase, some therapies arising from tissue engineering endeavors that make use of autologous adult cells have already entered the clinic. This review discusses these tissue engineering and regenerative medicine strategies for various tissues and organs.

Decellularized human corneal stromal cell sheet as a novel matrix for ocular surface reconstruction

“…Conventional tissue engineered materials such as for example artificial material based on synthetic polymers (Lee, Yoo, & Atala, 2014) or cell sheet technology for cell replacement (Green, Kehinde, & Thomas, 1979) have been successfully used for several different organ-systems in the past decades. But still, there are some important limitations to this method.…”

The market trend analysis and prospects of scaffolds for stem cells

“…Currently, the biomaterials used clinically for the transplant of stem cells are natural biomaterials such as collagen, fibrin, chitosan, keratin, peptide, hyaluronate, hydrogel, silk protein, hydroxyl, and tri-calcium phosphate as well as approved medical macromolecules with biocompatibility with synthetic biomaterials such as PLA, PGA, PLGA, and PLC [ 18 – 22 ]. Natural biomaterials have excellent bio-functionality such as biocompatibility and biodegradability but have the disadvantages of limited mechanical and physical strength and low processability.…”

Synthetic Extracellular Microenvironment for Modulating Stem Cell Behaviors

“…Since biomaterials provide temporary mechanical support while the cells undergo spatial tissue organization, a suitable biomaterial should maintain adequate mechanical integrity to support tissue formation during early stages of development. Basically, biomaterials should (1) facilitate the localization and delivery of somatic cells to specific sites in the body, (2) maintain a three-dimensional architecture that permits the formation of new tissues, and (3) guide the development of new tissues with appropriate function 3,17…”

“…A major consideration in tissue engineering is the architecture of scaffolds upon which seeded cells are directed to proliferate and differentiate to form a new tissue. Such tissue-engineered constructs composed of cell-seeded scaffolds are among the most promising approaches to generate functional replacement tissues 3. To engineer a functional tissue construct, it is necessary to understand how specialized artificial scaffold templates and compositions affect cell behaviors, particularly stem cells, and use this information to direct the design of engineered tissues and organs 2.…”