Scaffold biocompatibility

It is preferable to use natural polymers or at least to incorporate them within the fabricated nanofibrous scaffolds in order to promote the scaffolds biocompatibility and biofunctionality (Almany and SeUktar 2005). 

Song, J., Saiz, E. and Bertozzi, C.R. (2003) A new approach to mineralization of biocompatible hydrogel scaffolds an efficient process toward 3-dimensional bonelike composites. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 125, 1236-1243. 

The preparation of biocompatible SWNTs, noncovalently functionalized with bioactive glycodendrimers, has been reported (Scheme 29).253 A bifunctional dendritic scaffold 284 was built using the 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)propanoic acid as a building block 281, which was linked to an azidopyrene tail (280) capable of binding the surface... 

Neuss and coworkers have reported the possibility of SMPs using PCL dimethacrylate copolymers as cellular scaffold for tissue engineering. Behaviors of different cells from three different species (human mesenchymal stem cells, human mesothelial cells, and rat mesothelial cells) on the matrices were investigated, and the differentiation capacity of mesenchymal stem cells on the matrices was also analyzed [329]. The SMPs proved biocompatibility for all tested cell types, supporting viability and proliferation. The SMPs also supported the osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells 3 weeks after induction. 

Li CQ et al (2009) Construction of collagen II/hyaluronate/chondroitin-6-sulfate tri-copoly-mer scaffold for nucleus pulposus tissue engineering and preliminary analysis of its physicochemical properties and biocompatibility. J Mater Sci Mater Med 21 741-751... 

Silk fibers or monolayers of silk proteins have a number of potential biomedical applications. Biocompatibility tests have been carried out with scaffolds of fibers or solubilized silk proteins from the silkworm Bombyx mori (for review see Ref. [38]). Some biocompatibility problems have been reported, but this was probably due to contamination with residual sericin. More recent studies with well-defined silkworm silk fibers and films suggest that the core fibroin fibers show in vivo and in vivo biocompatibility that is comparable to other biomaterials, such as polyactic acid and collagen. Altmann et al. [39] showed that a silk-fiber matrix obtained from properly processed natural silkworm fibers is a suitable material for the attachment, expansion and differentiation of adult human progenitor bone marrow stromal cells. Also, the direct inflammatory potential of silkworm silk was studied using an in vitro system [40]. The authors claimed that their silk fibers were mostly immunologically inert in short and long term culture with murine macrophage cells. 

Correa-Duarte MA, Wagner N, Rojas-Chapana J, Morsczeck C, Thie M, Giersig M (2004). Fabrication and biocompatibility of carbon nanotube-based 3D networks as scaffolds for cell seeding and growth. Nano Lett. 4 2233-2236. 

Summarizing, noncovalent functionalization methods can be used to prepare materials with specific biological properties because they are quick, efficient and clean. In order to increase biocompatibility of carbon nanostructures, these materials now need to be integrated into living systems and to be potentially used as tissue regeneration scaffolds, prostheses or drug deliverers. 

The selection of a scaffold material is both a critical and difficult choice. There are many biocompatible materials available metals, ceramics, and polymers. 

PLLA, PLGA copolymers, and PGA have proven to be biocompatible materials and are FDA approved for several applications. However, one drawback to their use as scaffold materials for organ regeneration is the acidity caused by the release of lactic and glycolic acid, which at high concentrations becomes toxic to surrounding tissues. Initially, the amount of acid released... 

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