ABSTRACT
I. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 3
II. Physicochemical Processes Leading to Synthesis of ECM Analogs ................................ 4
III. Synthesis of Tissues and Organs Using Scaffolds ............................................................. 6
IV. Structural Basis of Biological Activity .............................................................................. 7
V. Scaffolds as Solid-State Enzymes ...................................................................................... 8
References ..................................................................................................................................... 10
Biologically active scaffolds are highly porous materials based on simple analogs of the
extracellular matrix (ECM) that have induced synthesis of tissues and organs. Their activity has
consisted so far in induction of complex synthetic processes, typically in anatomical sites where a
mass of a tissue or organ has been recently deleted due to accidental trauma or surgical intervention.
The results obtained so far strongly suggest that induced regeneration is the strategy of choice in
several pathological situations that are currently treated with organ transplantation.
