Polymers for tissue engineering applications

The solubility of apatites is becoming more important as emphasis is being placed on biomaterials for regeneration of tissues (Hench 1998b). Where apatites are incorporated with resorbable polymers for tissue engineering applications, it will become necessary to match the solubility rate of the inorganic and organic components within the composite. 

Bendrea A. D., Cianga L., and Cianga 1., Review paper progress in the field of conducting polymers for tissue engineering applications, /. Biomater. Appl. 2011,26. 

Leclerc E, Eurukawa KS, Miyata F, Sakai Y, Ushida T, Fujii T. Fabrication of microstructures in photosensitive taiodegiadable polymers for tissue engineering applications. Biomaterials. 2004 25 4683-90. 

Silva et al. (2006) studied starch-based microparticles as a novel strategy for tissue engineering applications. They developed starch-based microparticles, and evaluated them for bioactivity, cytotoxicity, ability to serve as substrates for cell adhesion, as well as their potential to be used as delivery systems either for anti-inflammatory agents or growth factors. Two starch-based materials were used for the development of starch-based particulate systems (1) a blend of starch and polylactic acid (SPLA) (50 50 w/w) and (2) a chemically modifled potato starch, Paselli II (Pa). Both materials enabled the synthesis of particulate systems, both polymer and composite (with BG 45S5). A simple solvent extraction method was employed for the synthesis of SPLA and SPLA/BG microparticles, while for Pa and Pa/BG... 

Girotti et al. (2004) have designed and bio-produced elastin-like protein polymers (ELP) which contain biofunctional motifs with cell adhesion sequences required for tissue-engineering applications. The protein polymer contained periodically spaced fibronectin CS5 domains enclosing the cell attachment sequence REDV. The overall sequence,... 

Heteroatom biodegradable and electrically conducting polymers, (IV), effective for tissue engineering applications were prepared by Schmidt [4] and used in spinal cord regeneration, wound healing, and bone repair. 

As mentioned earlier, poly(NIPAAm-co-AAc) where AAc content is small (2-5 mol%) forms loose hydrogels above the LOST. This makes the system an attractive candidate for tissue engineering application as an extracellular matrix (ECM). Above a critical concentration, aqueous polymer solutions of W-isopropylacrylamide copolymers with small amounts of acrylic acid, synthesized in benzene by free radical polymerization, exhibited four distinct phases as the temperature increased a clear solution, an opaque solution, a gel, and a shrunken gel. The transition between the opaque solution phase and the gel phase was in the range of 30-34°C and was... 

Chitosan membranes have been proposed as an artificial kidney membrane because of their suitable permeability and high tensile strength. Chitosan and its same derivatives are used to prepare scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. It can also be used for designing artificial skin, treatment of brain-scalp damage, and in plastic skin surgery. Chitosan has replaced the synthetic polymers in ophthalmo-logical applications due to its characteristic properties such... 

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