Advances in Collagen-based Tissue Engineering - Natural Polymers, Biopolymers, Biomaterials, and Their Composites, Blends, and IPNs - page 220

CoNClusioN
This review highlights current tissue engineering and novel therapeutic approaches
to axonal regeneration following spinal cord injury. An important role in creation of
functional, biological scaffolds for tissue engineering play theirs stiffness, thermosta-
bility, porosity and dielectric properties.
The results also showed that it is possible to produce ideal replacement for dura,
the tough protective membrane of brain and spinal cord. The dura substitute is capable
of regenerating the tough protective membrane, but also of bringing about regeneration
of blood vessels. Regenerated blood vessels will enable restoration of natural func-
tions of regenerated, replaced or supplemented tissues. The replacement composite
scaffolds are effective in regenerating other types of tissues. Enhancing angiogenesis
is effected by introducing specific bioactive growth factors. Matrix with incorporated
bioactive molecules may become a way of introducing genes into selected locations
in the body for “release-on-demand” therapy. Electrospinning is a process that can be
used to fabricate collagen-based scaffolds economically at large scales. Furthermore
using irradiation, it is possible to offer both a biodegradable implant with stable struc-
ture and a well-suitable implant for surgery in a sterile and ready-to-use state. The
novel nano- and micro-structured collagen with minor proportions of other biopoly-
mers will provide new possibilities in the field of regenerative medicine as a new path
for applications of tissue engineering. Using several new technologies should open
new horizons for tissue engineering and for an important branch of medical science.

KeyWords

• Chondroitin sulfate

• Collagen

• extracellular matrix

• Glycosaminoglycans

• methylcellulose

• tissues

• transplantation