ABSTRACT
Tissue engineering is a flourishing and promising biomedical engineering field which aims to develop viable substitutes to restore and maintain the function of damaged tissues. It is an interdisciplinary field employing amalgam of principles from biology and engineering. Cells, scaffolds, and signaling molecules are the basic tools and pillars of tissue engineering. Culturing of cells in three-dimensional (3D) microenvironments simulates normal cellular compartment and enhances adhesion, proliferation and differentiation of cells than in 2D. Scaffold functions as delivery vehicle, matrix for cell adhesion, and serves as a mechanical barrier against infiltrating surrounding tissues which hampers tissue repair and regeneration. Scaffolds can be synthetic or natural in origin. Different types of scaffold like porous, fibrous, customs, extracellular matrix, hydrogel, microspheres, and native tissue scaffolds are available and they influence the characteristics of cellular unit processes. A variety of techniques for fabrication of scaffolds were developed. There is no scaffold universally suitable for all cells and all applications. This review highlights the application of natural and synthetic biopolymers in 3D culture of cells, their fabrication techniques, and describes the biophysical, biochemical, and biomechanical properties of scaffold which influence cellular processes inside the scaffold.
