To serve as carriers of cells and bioactive molecules, three-dimensional scaffolds play a key role in bone defect repair. The chemical component and microstructure of the scaffold can affect the mechanical properties and seed cells. A variety of fabrication techniques have been used in producing scaffolds, some made random porous structure, some created well-designed structure using rapid prototyping methods, and others prepared bio-derived materials as scaffolds. However, scaffolds may vary in their inner structure, mechanical properties and repairing efficiency as well because of different manufacturing methods. In this review, we overview the main achievements concerning the effects of material and microstructure on the mechanical performance, seed cells and defect repair of bone scaffolds.
ObjectiveTo review the literature on the research status of vascularization of tissue engineered peripheral nerve so as to provide the theoretical basis for the vascularization of tissue engineered peripheral nerve.MethodsThe literature related to the vascularization of peripheral nerve tissue engineering in recent years was reviewed and summarized according to the five aspects of promoting vascularization: local microenvironment and blood supply characteristics of peripheral nerve regeneration, scaffold material modification, seed cells, autologous vascular bundle implantation, and pro-vascular factors.ResultsTissue engineered peripheral nerve has brought a new hope for the repair of peripheral nerve injury, but the repair effect of large nerve defects is not good, which is mainly related to the degree of vascularization of the nerve grafts. So it is particularly important to promote the early vascularization of tissue engineered peripheral nerve. Previous studies have mainly focused on the four aspects of scaffold material modification, seed cells, autologous vascular bundle implantation, and angiogenesis related factors. Recent studies show that the combination of the above two or more factors in the tissue engineered peripheral nerves can better promote the vascularization of tissue engineered peripheral nerves.ConclusionPromoting early vascularization of tissue engineered peripheral nerves can provide timely nutritional support for seed cells on the scaffold, promote axon growth and nerve regeneration, and facilitate the repair of large peripheral nerve defects in clinical practice.
ObjectiveTo summarize the research progress of tissue engineered bile duct in recent years.MethodsThis paper summarized recently-published papers related to tissue-engineered bile duct on in vitro test platform, scaffold materials, acquisition methods of seed cells, and in vivo repair effectiveness after the fusion of seed cells and materials, in an attempt to review the basic and clinical application studies of tissue-engineered bile duct.ResultsTissue-engineered bile duct had been developing rapidly. At present, great progress had been made in the fields of in vitro test platform, scaffold materials, seed cells, and repair effectiveness in animal models. However, further study was still needed in terms of its clinical application. The external bile duct platform included 3D printing and biological simulation; in the aspect of scaffold material, apart from the progress of various artificial materials, acellular matrix was introduced; the selection of seed cells included the induction and differentiation of bile duct-derived stem cells, human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), hepatic oval cell (HOC), pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), and other stem cells; animal models of tissue-engineered bile ducts had also achieved good results in animals such as pigs and dogs.ConclusionThe development of tissue-engineered bile duct will promote the progress of fundamental in vitro studies on extrahepatic biliary tract diseases, thus introducing new options to the clinical treatment of extrahepatic biliary tract injuries.