Research progress of scaffold materials

Research developments of materials for tissue engineering applications evolve as new insights into cellular functioning unfold. Bioinertness, the reduction of immunological responses by native tissues against foreign materials, was established during the early stages of biomaterial development. Necessitated bioactivity of materials for enhanced material–tissue interactions produced the discovery of the first synthetic material to bond to living tissues. The emergence of biodegradable polymers instigated the shift from tissue replacement to regeneration where biocompatibility and biomimicry became the core of biomaterial research and tissue engineering strategies. The realized importance of native extracellular matrix (ECM) simulation has expanded the selection of materials to encompass pharmaceutical drugs, bioactive molecules, and cell cultures in addition to natural and synthetic materials. Fabrication techniques of electrospinning and bioprinting have offered prospective for the design of elaborate biomaterials capable of achieving high similarity to ECM at macro-, micro-, and nanoscales. Further research advances in electroactive polymers and piezomaterials are anticipated to open potential for the innovation of sentient bionic and cyborg cellular systems.