Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering Applications and Current Updates in the Field: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

Tissue engineering has emerged as an interesting field nowadays; it focuses on accelerating the auto-healing mechanism of tissues rather than organ transplantation. It involves implanting an In Vitro cultured initiative tissue or a scaffold loaded with tissue regenerating ingredients at the damaged area. Both techniques are based on the use of biodegradable, biocompatible polymers as scaffolding materials which are either derived from natural (e.g. alginates, celluloses, and zein) or synthetic sources (e.g. PLGA, PCL, and PLA). This review discusses in detail the recent applications of different biomaterials in tissue engineering highlighting the targeted tissues besides the in vitro and in vivo key findings. As well, smart biomaterials (e.g. chitosan) are fascinating candidates in the field as they are capable of elucidating a chemical or physical transformation as response to external stimuli (e.g. temperature, pH, magnetic or electric fields). Recent trends in tissue engineering are summarized in this review highlighting the use of stem cells, 3D printing techniques, and the most recent 4D printing approach which relies on the use of smart biomaterials to produce a dynamic scaffold resembling the natural tissue. Furthermore, the application of advanced tissue engineering techniques provides hope for the researchers to recognize COVID-19/host interaction, also, it presents a promising solution to rejuvenate the destroyed lung tissues.

Keywords: 3D printing; Bioactive mineral fillers; Biomaterials; COVID-19; Smart polymers; Tissue engineering.

Fig. 1

Characteristics of the ideal biomaterials in tissue engineering applications

Fig. 2

Illustrative diagram of the application of different types of biomaterials in the tissue engineering field. Biomaterials can be natural, synthetic, or smart. a Egg-box structure due to interaction between sodium alginate and divalent calcium ions, reprinted from reference [43], with permission from Elsevier. b PLGA implants prepared by solvent-induced phase inversion technique, reprinted from reference [146] with permission from Elsevier. c SEM of plain in situ forming chitosan implants showing its porous structure. The sol–gel transition occurred at 37°C. Reprinted from reference [152], with permission from Elsevier

Fig. 3

Schematic illustration representing some examples of the insightful strategies for modern tissue engineering approaches