Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
28.4 Conclusion and Outlook
Previousstudiesdemonstrated thatgrowth factorsandtheECMare
important, but it is also apparent that the stability of the three-
dimensional structure is essential. The collagen or hyaluronan sub-
strates played an important role in increased cell attachment and
proliferation. These substrates are very well-known biocompatible
andcytotropicnaturalmaterialsthatcontainRGDsequences;there-
fore, they have been utilized in a number of clinical treatments,
including the construction of artificial skin, bone, and cartilage, and
in injectable materials. However, the physical properties of these
substrateswereverypoor,thustheywereinsu
cienttosupportthe
mechanical load from these materials. Therefore, composite scaf-
folds reinforced with PGA, PLA, PCL monomers or polymers, silk,
and chitin were developed. These composite scaffolds were found
to have strong mechanical and physical properties. Taken together,
thesefindingsindicatethattissuereconstructionusingadegradable
scaffold is feasible. However, the synthetic scaffold system alone is
notsuitableforrepairandreconstruction,butreinforcedcomposite
scaffolding can be very useful for repairing varioustissues
in vivo
.
Future studies will concentrate on improving both the cell
migration, proliferation, differentiation, and the divided area of the
scaffold forco-culture.
Acknowledgments
ThisworkwassupportedbyagrantfromtheKoreanHealth21R&D
Project, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Republic of Korea (0405-
BO01-0204-0006).
References
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(2003).
2. G.H.Altman,R.L.Horan,H.HLu,J.Moreau,I.Martin,J.C.Richmondand
D. L. Kaplan,
Biomaterials
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(2002)
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