Characteristics of tissue engineered cartilage materials / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

Scaffolds provide a three-dimensional environment that is desirable for inducing and promoting the production of cartilaginous tissue.Ideally the scaffold should① have directed and controlled degradation;② promote cell viability,differentiation,and extracellular matrix production;③ adhere and integrate with the surrounding native cartilage;④ span and assume the size of the defect;⑤ provide mechanical integrity depending on the defect location;⑥ have no toxicity,no immunogenicity or inflammatory induction;⑦ allow for the diffusion of nutrients and waste products.To date,a wide range of natural and synthetic materials have been investigated as a scaffold for cartilage repair.Based on the morphology and structure,these materials can be divided into hydrogel,sponge,fiber mesh and so on.Natural polymers that have been explored as bioactive scaffolds for cartilage engineering includealginate,agarose,fibrin,hyaluronic acid,collagen,gelatin,chitosan,chondroitin sulfate,and cellulose.Synthetic polymers currently explored for cartilage repair include poly(?-hydroxy esters),polyethylene glycol,poly(NiPAAm),poly(propylene fumarates),and polyurethanes.