Carbon nanotube interaction with extracellular matrix proteins producing scaffolds for tissue engineering

Abstract

In recent years, significant progress has been made in organ transplantation, surgical reconstruction, and the use of artificial prostheses to treat the loss or failure of an organ or bone tissue. In recent years, considerable attention has been given to carbon nanotubes and collagen composite materials and their applications in the field of tissue engineering due to their minimal foreign-body reactions, an intrinsic antibacterial nature, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and the ability to be molded into various geometries and forms such as porous structures, suitable for cell ingrowth, proliferation, and differentiation. Recently, grafted collagen and some other natural and synthetic polymers with carbon nanotubes have been incorporated to increase the mechanical strength of these composites. Carbon nanotube composites are thus emerging as potential materials for artificial bone and bone regeneration in tissue engineering.

Keywords:

• carbon nanotubes
• tissue engineering
• extracellular matrix proteins
• collagen
• hyaluronic acid
• stem cells

Acknowledgments

Resende, Ladeira, and Guatimosim are grateful for grant support from Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais, Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Programa de Apoio a Núcleos de Excelência (APQ-04334-10), and Capes. Brazil. We would like to thank Professor Christopher Kushmerick for English correction.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.