Biomaterials for bone tissue engineering.pdfVIP

Biomaterials for bone tissue engineering Materials that enhance bone regeneration have a wealth of potential clinical applications from the treatment of nonunion fractures to spinal fusion. The use of porous material scaffolds from bioceramic and polymer components to support bone cell and tissue growth is a longstanding area of interest. Current challenges include the engineering of materials that can match both the mechanical and biological context of real bone tissue matrix and support the vascularization of large tissue constructs. Scaffolds with new levels of biofunctionality that attempt to recreate nanoscale topographical and biofactor cues from the extracellular environment are emerging as interesting candidate biomimetic materials. Molly M. Stevens* Department of Materials and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK *E-mail: m.stevens@imperial.ac.uk Bone is a dynamic and highly vascularized tissue that continues intervention. Currently, the gold standard treatment is the use of a to remodel throughout the lifetime of an individual. It plays an procedure called autografting, which involves the harvest of ‘donor’ integral role in locomotion, ensures the skeleton has adequate bone from a non-load-bearing site in the patient (typically an easily load-bearing capacity, and acts as a protective casing for the accessible site like the iliac crest) and transplantation into the defect delicate internal organs of the body. In addition to these structural site1. Spinal fusion procedures also represent a growing need for functions, bone is intimately involved in homeostasis through its massive autologous bone grafting, which have risen from being the 41st storage of Ca and P ions and by regulating the concentration of most common in-patient procedure in the US in