The triad of nanotechnology, cell signalling, and scaffold implantation for the successful repair of damaged organs: An overview on soft-tissue engineering

Abstract

As a milestone in therapeutic fields, tissue engineering has offered an alternative strategy to address unmet clinical needs for the repair and replacement of human damaged organs. The premise of regenerative medicine follows an essential triad of cells, substrates, and physiologically active biomolecules to generate advanced therapeutic methods for tissue repair. Biomedical usages of nanotechnology in regenerative medicine are considerably growing. Dynamic three-dimensional nano-environments can deliver bioactive molecular substrates to accelerate the recovery of damaged tissues by inducing the preservation, proliferation, and differentiation of healthy cells. Nanotechnology provides the possibility to optimize the characteristics of scaffolds and tune their biological functionality (e.g., cellular attachment, electrical conductivity, biocompatibility, and cell-differentiation inducing effect). In addition, nanoscale substances can supply scaffolds via releasing several loaded drugs and triggering cellular proliferation to deliver efficient repair of various organs such as bone, cornea, cartilage, and the heart. Overall, the nature of damaged tissues, as well as scaffolds' composition, porous structure, degradability, and biocompatibility are determinant factors for successful tissue engineering. This review has addressed the most recent advances in the tissue engineering of various organs with a focus on the applications of nanomaterials in this field.

Keywords: Biomaterials; Nanocomposite; Regenerative medicine; Scaffolds; Soft tissue engineering; Stem cells.