Natural polymer based composite scaffolds for tissue engineering applications.

摘要

The fabrication, characterization, and bio-assessment of two types of perspective tissue engineering (TE) scaffolds are presented. Principally derived of biopolymers, both types of scaffolds generally followed porous scaffold methodologies for synthesis. Differentiating the two scaffold varieties was chiefly driven by crosslinking attainment, where crosslinking is argued to add structural stability and aid in regulating biodegradability rates in TE scaffolds. Microwave irradiation via conventional microwave was one method used to prospectively crosslink cornstarch to chitosan and sodium alginate. Triethyl orthoformate, was used to prospectively crosslink collagen and chitosan. After the scaffolds were "crosslinked" they were subjected to freeze drying techniques in order to exploit the sublimation of ice crystals frozen within the scaffolds, to produce a porous-permeable microstructure, vital for promoting cellular processes. Osteoblast MC3T3 cells and fibroblast cells were used for the bio-assessment to suggest the scaffolds as viable candidates for tissue engineering applications for bone and skin regeneration programs.