Biomimetic Materials for Engineering Stem Cells and Tissues - Biomimetics: Advancing Nanobiomaterials and Tissue Engineering - page 335

differentiation of the rMSCs to the BS-COL-PS scaffolds than those on
BG-COL scaffolds. Pure BG-COL-PS scaffolds and BG-COL-PS MSC/
scaffold constructs were implanted in rat femur defects for 6 weeks. The
constructs were found to be biocompatible and enhance the neogenic tis-
sue formation process from histological and radiological analysis as in
Figures 14.7 and 14.8 [44]. Declercq et al. have shown that adipose tissue
derived stem cells (ADSC)-laden microcarriers could be used as building
blocks (micro tissues) that self-assemble into macro tissues in a bottom-up
approach. The cells cultured in these scaffolds were found to successfully
undergo osteogenic differentiation making them potential scaffolds for
bone grafts that could undergo directed assembling [45].
14.5 ConcludingRemarks
Research in the fi eld of biomaterials and tissue engineering over the past
two decades has been aimed at developing implantable tissue grafts that
help in faster regeneration and repair of damaged tissue. But very few
products have been commercialized for human use. The search for a bet-
ter design of scaffold has led to the idea of copying the design of native
tissue. Biomimetic materials are being studied and fabricated exten-
sively to construct tissue-engineering scaffolds that mimic the in vivo
microenvironment, hence aiding in better integration of scaffold and
faster tissue regeneration. The development of these biomimetic materi-
als call for better understanding of the in vivo microenvironment along
with the biochemical cues that facilitate cell adhesion and proliferation.
Studying the behavior of stem cells on such biomimetic scaffolds can
help to better understand the structural and biochemical cues involved
in their differentiation. But there are many challenges associated with
the development of biomimetic scaffolds. The tissue organization in
vivo is complicated and understanding the composition at the molecular
level and replicating it is a challenging task. Even if the composition is
mimicked, the method to mimic the biological processes that demarcate
the properties of each tissue type remains uncertain. The choice of the
right material for biomimetic tissue engineering that supports angio-
genesis is another task that requires much attention before developing a
biomimetic scaffold. When all these issues are addressed, the challenge
still remains for the successful transfer of the graft from the laboratory
to clinical use. With the biomimetic approach being the present solution
for engineering cells and tissues, we still have a long way to go in fab-
ricating successful biomimetic scaffolds for the repair and regeneration
of damaged tissue. Despite these challenges, the biomimetic approach
is likely to prove invaluable in the future development of stem cell and
tissue engineering.