Functions and Requirements of Synthetic Scaffolds in Tissue Engineering

Tissue engineering is an interdisciplinary field that has emerged to address the needs created by a number of interrelated problems including shortage of donor organs, donor site morbidity, and failure of mechanical devices [1]. These imperfect solutions continue to give great impetus to the relatively new field that applies the principles of engineering and the life sciences toward developing biological substitutes for the restoration, maintenance, or improvement of tissue function [1]. Most tissue engineering techniques utilize a three-dimensional porous scaffold seeded with cells. These scaffolds play a vital role in the development of new tissue.