Polysaccharides for tissue engineering: Current landscape and future prospects

Armen Tchobanian; Hans Van Oosterwyck; Pedro Fardim

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2018.10.039

Polysaccharides for tissue engineering: Current landscape and future prospects

Carbohydr Polym. 2019 Feb 1:205:601-625. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2018.10.039. Epub 2018 Oct 21.

Authors

Armen Tchobanian¹, Hans Van Oosterwyck², Pedro Fardim³

Affiliations

¹ Chemical Engineering for Health & Care, Bio&Chemical Systems Technology, Reactor Engineering and Safety, Department of Chemical Engineering, KU Leuven, Belgium.
² Biomechanics Section, Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven, Belgium.
³ Chemical Engineering for Health & Care, Bio&Chemical Systems Technology, Reactor Engineering and Safety, Department of Chemical Engineering, KU Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: pedro.fardim@kuleuven.be.

PMID: 30446147
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2018.10.039

Abstract

Biological studies on the importance of carbohydrate moieties in tissue engineering have incited a growing interest in the application of polysaccharides as scaffolds over the past two decades. This review provides a perspective of the recent approaches in developing polysaccharide scaffolds, with a focus on their chemical modification, structural versatility, and biological applicability. The current major limitations are assessed, including structural reproducibility, the narrow scope of polysaccharide modifications being applied, and the effective replication of the extracellular environment. Areas with opportunities for further development are addressed with an emphasis on the application of rationally designed polysaccharides and their importance in elucidating the molecular interactions necessary to properly design tissue engineering materials.

Keywords: Biomaterials; Biopolymers; Extracellular matrix; Polysaccharides; Regenerative medicine; Tissue engineering; Topochemical engineering.

Publication types

Review