Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
keyissuesistheselectionofaproperscaffoldmaterial.Generally,an
ideal scaffold material should have the following characteristics in
order to perform its function properly
2
:
1. Goodbiocompatibility:Besidesthegeneralrequirementsforbio-
materials,suchastheyshouldbenontoxic,noncarcinogenic,non-
inflammatory,scaffoldsshouldbeabletosupportcellattachment,
proliferation, matrix production, and even differentiation. Partic-
ularly, the degraded products should not be harmful to seeded
cells.
2. Suitable biodegradability: After tissue formation, the scaffold
should be able to completely degrade. In addition, the degrada-
tion rate should match the rate of cell growth and tissue forma-
tion. Furthermore, the degradation rate should be able to control
according to the requirements of different types of tissues.
3. Three-dimensional porous structure: Generally speaking, the
porosity should be above 90% with a high ratio of sur-
face/volume so that the scaffold can provide a large surface area
for cell attachment, growth, and matrix production and deposi-
tion and for nutrition and waste transportation and the access of
neovascularization.
4. Goodplasticityandmechanicalproperty:Anidealscaffoldshould
be able to be prefabricated into a certain shape and possess a
certain level of mechanical property so that it can support tissue
function before the engineered tissue can be remodeled and be
mature enoughto regain the normal mechanical strength.
5. Appropriate cell surface properties for cell-scaffold interaction:
Thisisparticularlyimportantformaintainingnormalcellpheno-
type or promoting cell differentiation in addition to cell attach-
mentand growth.
6. Easytomanufacture:Lowcostandeaseformanufacturearegen-
erally required in order to fabricate scaffolds in a large scale for
practical applications.
7. Sterilization: An ideal material should be easily handled for vari-
oustypesofsterilizationwithoutaffectingitsowncharacteristics.
Based on the source of materials, scaffolds can be divided into
two groups, natural scaffolds and synthetic polymer scaffolds. The
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