This review examines the potential of scaffold-based binding proteins to fulfil these requirements.
Recent advances in microtissue production have highlighted the potential of scaffold-free cell aggregates in maintaining tissue-specific functionality, supporting seamless integration of implants into host tissues, and providing complex feeder structures for difficult-to-differentiate cell types.
In order to enhance the application potential of scaffolds in tissue engineering, comprehensive characterization of scaffold micro- and macro-structure, porosity, permeability and mechanical properties are required.
The healing potential of scaffolds for tissue engineering can be enhanced by combining them with genes to produce gene-activated matrices (GAMs) for tissue regeneration.
Long term cell culture studies were then conducted to determine the differentiation potential of scaffolds in terms of alkaline phosphatase activity, collagen and mineral production.
The reasons for the contradictory findings about the influence of PRP on the regenerative potential of scaffolds are not completely understood although some hypotheses have been advanced.
Fricain et al., compared the bone regeneration potential of scaffolds composing of natural hydrophilic polysaccharides pullulan and dextran, supplemented with or without nHA in five animal models.
The wound healing potential of scaffolds increases by means of a synergistic relationship between AdMSCs and biomaterial resulting in the release of proangiogenic and cytokine factors, which is currently lacking when a scaffold alone is utilized.
Importantly, in the other animals, the scaffold structure was still present in its original form, showing bone deposition in the honeycomb-like structure of the scaffold, indicating the potential of the scaffold material to serve as a supporting structure during bone remodelling in critical size defects.
