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Polymer Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering II
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Polymer Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering II

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2024) | Viewed by 14625

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jin-Jia Hu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
Interests: biomaterials; mechanical engineering; tissue engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Solaiman Tarafder

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA
Interests: biomaterials; tissue engineering; cartilage; meniscus; tendon
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Tissue engineering, which aims to restore, maintain, or improve tissue function, has been one of the most rapidly expanding interdisciplinary fields during the past few decades. Polymer scaffolds play a key role in a typical tissue engineering approach by providing initial structural support for cell adhesion and serving as a template for tissue formation. Properties of synthetic polymers including biodegradability, hydrophilicity, and mechanical properties can be tailored to specific requirements of a tissue-engineered construct. Specifically, cell–material interactions such as cell adhesion, proliferation, migration, and differentiation can be modulated further via functionalization of the polymer. For example, natural polymers, which have superior biocompatibility, are often incorporated in scaffold designs to achieve unique properties and better performance. Polymers can be processed to fabricate scaffolds via numerous methods, including particulate leaching, freeze–drying, phase separation, electrospinning, 3D printing, etc. Porous microstructures within these scaffolds can be manipulated to mimic the isotropy or anisotropy of the tissue to be replaced. 

We invite authors to submit original research articles as well as review articles that will stimulate the continuing efforts in developing new polymer scaffolds for tissue engineering. Of particular interest for this Special Issue are bioactive, functional polymer scaffolds that interact with biological systems.

Dr. Jin-Jia Hu
Dr. Solaiman Tarafder
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • polymers in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
  • synthesis and characterization of polymer for tissue engineering
  • bioactive polymer scaffolds
  • functional polymer scaffolds
  • cell–materials interactions
  • mechanobiology

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 64307 KiB  
Article
Morphological 3D Analysis of PLGA/Chitosan Blend Polymer Scaffolds and Their Impregnation with Olive Pruning Residues via Supercritical CO2
by Ignacio García-Casas, Diego Valor, Hafsa Elayoubi, Antonio Montes and Clara Pereyra
Polymers 2024, 16(11), 1451; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16111451 - 21 May 2024
Viewed by 909
Abstract
Natural extracts, such as those from the residues of the Olea europaea industry, offer an opportunity for use due to their richness in antioxidant compounds. These compounds can be incorporated into porous polymeric devices with huge potential for tissue engineering such as bone, [...] Read more.
Natural extracts, such as those from the residues of the Olea europaea industry, offer an opportunity for use due to their richness in antioxidant compounds. These compounds can be incorporated into porous polymeric devices with huge potential for tissue engineering such as bone, cardiovascular, osteogenesis, or neural applications using supercritical CO2. For this purpose, polymeric scaffolds of biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and chitosan, generated in situ by foaming, were employed for the supercritical impregnation of ethanolic olive leaf extract (OLE). The influence of the presence of chitosan on porosity and interconnectivity in the scaffolds, both with and without impregnated extract, was studied. The scaffolds have been characterized by X-ray computed microtomography, scanning electron microscope, measurements of impregnated load, and antioxidant capacity. The expansion factor decreased as the chitosan content rose, which also occurred when OLE was used. Pore diameters varied, reducing from 0.19 mm in pure PLGA to 0.11 mm in the two experiments with the highest chitosan levels. The connectivity was analyzed, showing that in most instances, adding chitosan doubled the average number of connections, increasing it by a factor of 2.5. An experiment was also conducted to investigate the influence of key factors in the impregnation of the extract, such as pressure (10–30 MPa), temperature (308–328 K), and polymer ratio (1:1–9:1 PLGA/chitosan). Increased pressure facilitated increased OLE loading. The scaffolds were evaluated for antioxidant activity and demonstrated substantial oxidation inhibition (up to 82.5% under optimal conditions) and remarkable potential to combat oxidative stress-induced pathologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering II)
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19 pages, 2984 KiB  
Article
Development of Biocompatible Digital Light Processing Resins for Additive Manufacturing Using Visible Light-Induced RAFT Polymerization
by Mauricio A. Sarabia-Vallejos, Scarleth Romero De la Fuente, Pamela Tapia, Nicolás A. Cohn-Inostroza, Manuel Estrada, David Ortiz-Puerta, Juan Rodríguez-Hernández and Carmen M. González-Henríquez
Polymers 2024, 16(4), 472; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16040472 - 8 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2023
Abstract
Patients with bone diseases often experience increased bone fragility. When bone injuries exceed the body’s natural healing capacity, they become significant obstacles. The global rise in the aging population and the escalating obesity pandemic are anticipated to lead to a notable increase in [...] Read more.
Patients with bone diseases often experience increased bone fragility. When bone injuries exceed the body’s natural healing capacity, they become significant obstacles. The global rise in the aging population and the escalating obesity pandemic are anticipated to lead to a notable increase in acute bone injuries in the coming years. Our research developed a novel DLP resin for 3D printing, utilizing poly(ethylene glycol diacrylate) (PEGDA) and various monomers through the PET-RAFT polymerization method. To enhance the performance of bone scaffolds, triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS) were incorporated into the printed structure, promoting porosity and pore interconnectivity without reducing the mechanical resistance of the printed piece. The gyroid TPMS structure was the one that showed the highest mechanical resistance (0.94 ± 0.117 and 1.66 ± 0.240 MPa) for both variants of resin composition. Additionally, bioactive particles were introduced to enhance the material’s biocompatibility, showcasing the potential for incorporating active compounds for specific applications. The inclusion of bioceramic particles produces an increase of 13% in bioactivity signal for osteogenic differentiation (alkaline phosphatase essay) compared to that of control resins. Our findings highlight the substantial improvement in printing precision and resolution achieved by including the photoabsorber, Rose Bengal, in the synthesized resin. This enhancement allows for creating intricately detailed and accurately defined 3D-printed parts. Furthermore, the TPMS gyroid structure significantly enhances the material’s mechanical resistance, while including bioactive compounds significantly boosts the polymeric resin’s biocompatibility and bioactivity (osteogenic differentiation). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering II)
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18 pages, 4453 KiB  
Article
Preparation of Porous Scaffold Based on Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) and FucoPol
by João Ricardo Pereira, Ana Margarida Rafael, Asiyah Esmail, Maria Morais, Mariana Matos, Ana Carolina Marques, Maria A. M. Reis and Filomena Freitas
Polymers 2023, 15(13), 2945; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15132945 - 4 Jul 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1472
Abstract
This work focused on the development of porous scaffolds based on biocomposites comprising two biodegradable and biocompatible biopolymers: a terpolyester, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHVHHx), and the bacterial polysaccharide FucoPol. The PHBHVHHx terpolymer was composed of 3-hydroxybutyrate (55 wt%), 3-hydroxyvalerate (21 wt%), and 3-hydroxyhexanoate (24 wt%). [...] Read more.
This work focused on the development of porous scaffolds based on biocomposites comprising two biodegradable and biocompatible biopolymers: a terpolyester, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHVHHx), and the bacterial polysaccharide FucoPol. The PHBHVHHx terpolymer was composed of 3-hydroxybutyrate (55 wt%), 3-hydroxyvalerate (21 wt%), and 3-hydroxyhexanoate (24 wt%). This hydrophobic polyester has low crystallinity and can form elastic and flexible films. Fucopol is a fucose-containing water-soluble polysaccharide that forms viscous solutions with shear thinning behavior and has demonstrated emulsion-forming and stabilizing capacity and wound healing ability. Emulsion-templating was used to fabricate PHA-based porous structures in which FucoPol acted as a bioemulsifier. Compared with the scaffolds obtained from emulsions with only water, the use of FucoPol aqueous solutions resulted in structures with improved mechanical properties, namely higher tensile strength (4.4 MPa) and a higher Young’s Modulus (85 MPa), together with an elongation at break of 52%. These features, together with the scaffolds’ high porosity and pore interconnectivity, suggest their potential to sustain cell adhesion and proliferation, which is further supported by FucoPol’s demonstrated wound healing ability. Therefore, the developed PHBHVHHx:FucoPol scaffolds arise as innovative porous bioactive structures with great potential for use in tissue engineering applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering II)
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11 pages, 2945 KiB  
Article
Electro-Responsive Conductive Blended Hydrogel Patch
by Jang Ho Ha, Jae Hyun Lim, Jong Min Lee and Bong Geun Chung
Polymers 2023, 15(12), 2608; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15122608 - 8 Jun 2023
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2906
Abstract
The proposed electro-responsive hydrogel has great benefit for transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) applications. To improve the physical or chemical properties of hydrogels, a number of researchers have previously studied the mixing efficiencies of the blended hydrogels. However, few studies have focused on [...] Read more.
The proposed electro-responsive hydrogel has great benefit for transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) applications. To improve the physical or chemical properties of hydrogels, a number of researchers have previously studied the mixing efficiencies of the blended hydrogels. However, few studies have focused on improving the electrical conductivity and drug delivery of the hydrogels. We developed a conductive blended hydrogel by mixing alginate with gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) and silver nanowire (AgNW). We demonstrated that and the tensile strength of blended hydrogels were increased by a factor of 1.8 by blending GelMA and the electrical conductivity was enhanced by a factor of 18 by the addition of AgNW. Furthermore, the GelMA-alginate-AgNW (Gel-Alg-AgNW) blended hydrogel patch enabled on-off controllable drug release, indicating 57% doxorubicin release in response to electrical stimulation (ES) application. Therefore, this electro-responsive blended hydrogel patch could be useful for smart drug delivery applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering II)
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16 pages, 2622 KiB  
Article
Poly(octamethylene citrate) Modified with Glutathione as a Promising Material for Vascular Tissue Engineering
by Agata Flis, Martina Trávníčková, Filip Koper, Karolina Knap, Wiktor Kasprzyk, Lucie Bačáková and Elżbieta Pamuła
Polymers 2023, 15(5), 1322; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15051322 - 6 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1990
Abstract
One of the major goals of vascular tissue engineering is to develop much-needed materials that are suitable for use in small-diameter vascular grafts. Poly(1,8-octamethylene citrate) can be considered for manufacturing small blood vessel substitutes, as recent studies have demonstrated that this material is [...] Read more.
One of the major goals of vascular tissue engineering is to develop much-needed materials that are suitable for use in small-diameter vascular grafts. Poly(1,8-octamethylene citrate) can be considered for manufacturing small blood vessel substitutes, as recent studies have demonstrated that this material is cytocompatible with adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) and favors their adhesion and viability. The work presented here is focused on modifying this polymer with glutathione (GSH) in order to provide it with antioxidant properties, which are believed to reduce oxidative stress in blood vessels. Cross-linked poly(1,8-octamethylene citrate) (cPOC) was therefore prepared by polycondensation of citric acid and 1,8-octanediol at a 2:3 molar ratio of the reagents, followed by in-bulk modification with 0.4, 0.8, 4 or 8 wt.% of GSH and curing at 80 °C for 10 days. The chemical structure of the obtained samples was examined by FTIR-ATR spectroscopy, which confirmed the presence of GSH in the modified cPOC. The addition of GSH increased the water drop contact angle of the material surface and lowered the surface free energy values. The cytocompatibility of the modified cPOC was evaluated in direct contact with vascular smooth-muscle cells (VSMCs) and ASCs. The cell number, the cell spreading area and the cell aspect ratio were measured. The antioxidant potential of GSH-modified cPOC was measured by a free radical scavenging assay. The results of our investigation indicate the potential of cPOC modified with 0.4 and 0.8 wt.% of GSH to produce small-diameter blood vessels, as the material was found to: (i) have antioxidant properties, (ii) support VSMC and ASC viability and growth and (iii) provide an environment suitable for the initiation of cell differentiation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering II)
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20 pages, 5327 KiB  
Article
Tergitol Based Decellularization Protocol Improves the Prerequisites for Pulmonary Xenografts: Characterization and Biocompatibility Assessment
by Susanna Tondato, Arianna Moro, Salman Butt, Martina Todesco, Deborah Sandrin, Giulia Borile, Massimo Marchesan, Assunta Fabozzo, Andrea Bagno, Filippo Romanato, Saima Jalil Imran and Gino Gerosa
Polymers 2023, 15(4), 819; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15040819 - 6 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2072
Abstract
Right ventricle outflow tract obstruction (RVOTO) is a congenital pathological condition that contributes to about 15% of congenital heart diseases. In most cases, the replacement of the right ventricle outflow in pediatric age requires subsequent pulmonary valve replacement in adulthood. The aim of [...] Read more.
Right ventricle outflow tract obstruction (RVOTO) is a congenital pathological condition that contributes to about 15% of congenital heart diseases. In most cases, the replacement of the right ventricle outflow in pediatric age requires subsequent pulmonary valve replacement in adulthood. The aim of this study was to investigate the extracellular matrix scaffold obtained by decellularization of the porcine pulmonary valve using a new detergent (Tergitol) instead of Triton X-100. The decellularized scaffold was evaluated for the integrity of its extracellular matrix (ECM) structure by testing for its biochemical and mechanical properties, and the cytotoxicity/cytocompatibility of decellularized tissue was assessed using bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. We concluded that Tergitol could remove the nuclear material efficiently while preserving the structural proteins of the matrix, but without an efficient removal of the alpha-gal antigenic epitope. Therefore, Tergitol can be used as an alternative detergent to replace the Triton X-100. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering II)
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Review

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20 pages, 1010 KiB  
Review
Additive Manufacturing of Polymer/Bioactive Glass Scaffolds for Regenerative Medicine: A Review
by Andrea Martelli, Devis Bellucci and Valeria Cannillo
Polymers 2023, 15(11), 2473; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15112473 - 26 May 2023
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2451
Abstract
Tissue engineering (TE) is a branch of regenerative medicine with enormous potential to regenerate damaged tissues using synthetic grafts such as scaffolds. Polymers and bioactive glasses (BGs) are popular materials for scaffold production because of their tunable properties and ability to interact with [...] Read more.
Tissue engineering (TE) is a branch of regenerative medicine with enormous potential to regenerate damaged tissues using synthetic grafts such as scaffolds. Polymers and bioactive glasses (BGs) are popular materials for scaffold production because of their tunable properties and ability to interact with the body for effective tissue regeneration. Due to their composition and amorphous structure, BGs possess a significant affinity with the recipient’s tissue. Additive manufacturing (AM), a method that allows the creation of complex shapes and internal structures, is a promising approach for scaffold production. However, despite the promising results obtained so far, several challenges remain in the field of TE. One critical area for improvement is tailoring the mechanical properties of scaffolds to meet specific tissue requirements. In addition, achieving improved cell viability and controlled degradation of scaffolds is necessary to ensure successful tissue regeneration. This review provides a critical summary of the potential and limitations of polymer/BG scaffold production via AM covering extrusion-, lithography-, and laser-based 3D-printing techniques. The review highlights the importance of addressing the current challenges in TE to develop effective and reliable strategies for tissue regeneration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering II)
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