Natural Biomaterials as Instructive Engineered Microenvironments That Direct Cellular Function in Peripheral Nerve Tissue Engineering

Rebecca Powell; Despoina Eleftheriadou; Simon Kellaway; James B Phillips

doi:10.3389/fbioe.2021.674473

Natural Biomaterials as Instructive Engineered Microenvironments That Direct Cellular Function in Peripheral Nerve Tissue Engineering

Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2021 May 25:9:674473. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.674473. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Rebecca Powell^{1

2}, Despoina Eleftheriadou^{1

2

3}, Simon Kellaway^{1

2}, James B Phillips^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ UCL Centre for Nerve Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
² Department of Pharmacology, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
³ Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom.

Abstract

Nerve tissue function and regeneration depend on precise and well-synchronised spatial and temporal control of biological, physical, and chemotactic cues, which are provided by cellular components and the surrounding extracellular matrix. Therefore, natural biomaterials currently used in peripheral nerve tissue engineering are selected on the basis that they can act as instructive extracellular microenvironments. Despite emerging knowledge regarding cell-matrix interactions, the exact mechanisms through which these biomaterials alter the behaviour of the host and implanted cells, including neurons, Schwann cells and immune cells, remain largely unclear. Here, we review some of the physical processes by which natural biomaterials mimic the function of the extracellular matrix and regulate cellular behaviour. We also highlight some representative cases of controllable cell microenvironments developed by combining cell biology and tissue engineering principles.

Keywords: biomaterials; microenvironment; peripheral nerve; regeneration; tissue engineering.

Publication types

Review