NOVEL MICROSPHERES FOR PROLONGED CELL SURVIVAL - Intelligent Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine - page 634

state of the art in fabricating oxygen-producing microspheres, in
lab evaluation protocols, and its possible integration into tissue
engineering applications. The discussion is based on real prac-
tice involving related technology and methodology for developing
oxygen-releasing microspheres (ORMs) via encapsulating hydro-
gen peroxide in poly(lactide- co -glycolide) (PLGA)microspheres.
32.1 Introduction
The ultimate goal of tissue engineering is to assemble cells into a
structural form together with specific biological functionalities in
replacing diseased or damaged tissue caused by wear, trauma, neo-
plasm, or congenital deformity. 1 In general, this is done by collect-
ing cells from a patient, expanding their number, and growing the
cells into tissue using a suitable scaffold. In some cases, the process
includes the need for cellular and tissue patterning, microcircula-
tion development, and uses of appropriate external stimuli, such as
chemical, biological, mechanical, or electrical, to ensure the appro-
priate biofunctional and mechanical properties are restored within
the newly formed tissue. The more advanced stage in this area
includes the reconstruction of complex organs and their transplan-
tation into animals or humans. In this engineering process, key fac-
tors that ensure the success fall on the ability to control optimum
conditions required for cell survival and the advancement of tech-
nologyinproducingsuitablebiomaterialscaffolds,whichenablecell
migration, adhesion, and differentiation to occur. These two factors
seem to be treated independently at the early days but have now
slowly merged into one subject, in which scaffolds in parallel oper-
ate as an artificial extracellular matrix (ECM) and provide the opti-
mum needs and specific functions for cell survival (e.g., nutrients,
salts,oxygen,growthfactors,etc.).Later,thisareaofinterestbecame
knownasintelligentscaffoldsandgeneratedhugeresearchinterest,
especiallyfromtheaspectoftheirnovelproduction,potentialappli-
cations, and the prospect for commercialization.
One of the possible routes to fabricate intelligent scaffold is via
the incorporation of functionalized materials into the main matrix
of a scaffold. Others include the use of a hybrid material formed