Tissue Engineering and Nanoengineering

Tissue engineering. Nanoengineering Due to the combined efforts of basic and material scientists, cell biologists, engineers, and clinicians, the field of tissue engineering has now developed into a highly interdisciplinary science and has attempted to recreate or regenerate almost every type of human tissue and organ.

Tissue engineering is now the application of biological, chemical and engineering principles towards the repair, restoration or regeneration of living tissues using biomaterials, cells and factors, alone or in combination. Biodegradable porous three-dimensional (3D) structures have been extensively used as scaffolds for tissue engineering to temporarily mimic the structure and functions of the natural extracellular matrix (ECM).

The ECM functions to provide 3D structure with mechanical and biochemical cues to support and control cell organization and functions.

Even though macro- and micro-fabrication techniques enabled the development of highly porous 3D scaffolds that could support the adhesion and proliferation of cells, their ability to closely mimic the complex nanostructured topography and biochemical functions of the ECM is far from optimal.
However, recent developments in nanofabrication techniques have afforded various nanostructured bioactive scaffolds. These include top-down approaches such as electrospinning and phase separation to develop nanofibrous scaffolds from polymer solutions or bottom-up approaches such as self-assembly to develop nanofibrous scaffolds from specifically designed bioactive peptide motifs.

Although significant improvements are needed for these nanofabrication processes to produce scaffolds that could precisely mimic the structure and functions of the ECM, the developments so far have significantly enhanced our ability to recreate the natural cellular environment for regenerating tissues.