Design and fabrication of porous biodegradable scaffolds: a strategy for tissue engineering

Abstract

Current strategies of tissue engineering are focused on the reconstruction and regeneration of damaged or deformed tissues by grafting of cells with scaffolds and biomolecules. Recently, much interest is given to scaffolds which are based on mimic the extracellular matrix that have induced the formation of new tissues. To return functionality of the organ, the presence of a scaffold is essential as a matrix for cell colonization, migration, growth, differentiation and extracellular matrix deposition, until the tissues are totally restored or regenerated. A wide variety of approaches has been developed either in scaffold materials and production procedures or cell sources and cultivation techniques to regenerate the tissues/organs in tissue engineering applications. This study has been conducted to present an overview of the different scaffold fabrication techniques such as solvent casting and particulate leaching, electrospinning, emulsion freeze-drying, thermally induced phase separation, melt molding and rapid prototyping with their properties, limitations, theoretical principles and their prospective in tailoring appropriate micro-nanostructures for tissue regeneration applications. This review also includes discussion on recent works done in the field of tissue engineering.

Keywords:

• Tissue engineering
• fabrication methods
• biomaterials
• cell proliferation
• porous scaffolds

Abbreviations:

• AC: Azodicarbonamide
• BA: Blowing agent
• CAD: Computer aided design
• ECM: Extracellular matrix
• ES: Electrospinning
• FDM: Fused deposition modeling
• T_f: Freezing temperature
• HFP: Hexafluoro-2-propanol
• HA: Hydroxyapatite
• IM/PL: Injection molding/particulate leaching
• NSF: Nanofibrous silk fibroin
• PCL: Poly (ε-caprolactone)
• PDOCL: Poly (dioxanone-b-caprolactone) co-polymer
• PEG: Poly (ethylene glycol)
• PEI: Poly-(ethyleneimine)
• PGD: Poly (glycerol-dodecanedioate)
• PGMA: Poly (glycidyl methacrylate)
• PGA: Poly (glycolic acid)
• PHB: Poly hydroxyl butyrate
• PHBV: Poly (hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate)
• PLA: Poly (lactic acid)
• PLGA: Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid)
• PPF: Poly (propylene fumarate)
• PVA: Poly (vinyl alcohol)
• PVP: Poly (N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone)
• PUA: Polyurethane acrylate
• RP: Rapid prototyping
• SLUP: Salt leaching using powder
• SLS: Selective laser sintering
• NaCl: Sodium chloride
• SFF: Solid freeform fabrication
• SC/PL: Solvent casting and particulate leaching
• SLA: Stereolithography
• TIPS: Thermally induced phase separation
• 3D: Three-dimension
• 3DP: Three-Dimensional printing
• 2D: Tow-dimension
• TCP: Tricalcium phosphate
• TMC: Trimethylene carbonate

Acknowledgment

This research was financially supported by ‘Iran National Science Foundation (INSF)’. The authors would like to express their appreciation to the current president of the INSF, Dr Nosratollah Zargham, and their financial officers for their support and assistance with this project.