3D nanofibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering

Abstract

Combining the efforts of numerous fields, tissue engineering is tackling the most significant and widespread clinical issues. One of the key aspects of tissue engineering is the scaffold. Recently, advancements at the interface of materials science and cell biology have led to the development of synthetic polymer nanofibrous scaffolds. These novel constructs enhance cell adhesion, differentiation, and tissue formation by serving as a biomimetic extracellular matrix. This review will cover the modern advancements of the three major fabrication techniques currently used to create nanofibrous scaffolds: electrospinning, molecular self-assembly, and thermally induced phase separation. Additionally, developments in the biological applications, with a focus on bone and cartilage tissue engineering, will be surveyed by looking at the various adult and stem cell sources, the ability of the scaffolds to support the differentiation of various stem cells down multiple lineages, and the capacity of the constructs to form clinically relevant 3D tissue.