ABSTRACT
R. SELVAKUMAR, AMITAVA BHATTACHARYYA, J. GOPINATHAN, R. SOURNAVENI, and MAMATHA M. PILLAI
ABSTRACT
Tissue engineering is a multidisciplinary area which needs application of both life science as well as engineering research. Tissue engineering involves use of porous scaffold that can provide ambient conditions for the growth of target cells intended to grow inside or on the surface of the scaffold. Such growth inside the scaffold is mostly possible only when we follow a tissue engineering triad involving appropriate cells, relevant signaling molecules or biomolecules, and a proper porous scaffold. An effective cell adhesion, cell growth, and retention of differentiated cell’s function in a scaffold depend on many factors such as biomimetic surface, oxygen tension, growth factor, immobilization or incorporation method of growth factor, controlled combinatorial activity of key signaling molecules or growth factors from scaffold or biomaterial, hydrophilicity of scaffold, etc. In this review, we have made an attempt to bring out the various types and strategies of biomolecular functionalization of scaffolds involved in various tissue engineering sectors like stem cell, vascular grafts, bone, skin, and nerve tissue engineering. We have highlighted the commonly used biomolecules for tissue engineering and biomedical applications and have described the mechanism of their action to enhance the cell attachment, growth, proliferation, and differentiation onto the scaffold. Emphasis has been given onto biochemistry of the biomolecules or
growth factors that trigger the natural and regulated cascade of reactions leading to cell attachment and proliferation of cells into functional tissues.
