The design of scaffolds has received a lot of attention, as it has emerged as an alternative to bone substitutes. There is insufficient evidence to show that grafts could fully heal injuries, without causing issues like an increased inflammatory response, antigenic reactions, fixation site failure and lack of long term biocompatibility which has limited their application in treating bone and cartilage regeneration. Lastly, scaffolds play a vital role in supportive matrix information of a tissue-engineered bone or cartilage.They can be characterized by their ability to develop into osteogenic or chondrogenic lineages in response to external stimuli and expression markers that can be supplemented. MSCs are quite easily available and the protocols for their extraction and culture are well documented in the literature. Cells constitute osteoblasts, chondroblasts or mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) which direct the differentiation process into the respective lineage.The signals constitute various biochemical cues, growth factors or bio-molecules that are essential for the differentiation into the desired lineage.Thus, the major requirements for bone and cartilage tissue engineering are the perfect synergy between osteogenic/chondrogenic signals, suitable scaffolds, and cells ( Figure 1).įigure 1 Prerequisites for successful bone and cartilage tissue engineering One of the primary goals of TE lies in developing methods to construct organs in the laboratory that can be used subsequently in medical applications. The key considerations to be considered while designing scaffold materials for bone and cartilage are biocompatibility, biodegradability, mechanical requirements in accordance with the tissue, architecture of the scaffolds and the fabrication technology.
The general strategy in creating a functional bone or cartilage tissue requires the incorporation of living cells into matrices or scaffolds, as structural support for cell adhesion, while influencing the fate of immature cells through bioactive molecules and/or physical cues. The clinical applications in the field of bone and cartilage tissue engineering constitute a wide spectrum ranging from bone and cartilage regeneration, tumors, reconstructive surgeries, and arthritis treatments. TE of the bone and cartilage has evolved over the last few decades with the primary aim to overcome the limitations of all conventional treatments offered.
The design of bone scaffolds has emerged as a victorious alternative to bone substitutes including autografts, allografts, and xenografts. It holds immense potential for replacement therapy where damaged tissues and organs such as liver, connective tissues, bone, cartilage, and muscles can be regenerated or replaced if they are beyond repair. Tissue engineering (TE) applies the principle of biology and engineering to the development of functional substitutes for damaged tissue. The field of healthcare is being revolutionized by the concept of artificial tissues.
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