Design and preparation of polymeric scaffolds for tissue engineering

Abstract

Polymeric scaffolds for tissue engineering can be prepared with a multitude of different techniques. Many diverse approaches have been recently under development. The adaptation of conventional preparation methods like electrospinning, induced phase separation of polymer solutions or porogen leaching which were originally developed for other research areas are described as well as the utilization of novel fabrication techniques like rapid prototyping or solid free form procedures with their many different methods to generate or to embody scaffold structures or the usage of self-assembly systems that mimic the properties of the extracellular matrix. These methods were reviewed and evaluated taking special regard to their utility in the area of tissue engineering.