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Tue 10 May, 2005 06:28 pm
"Cells are generally implanted, or 'seeded' into a scaffold material which serves at least one of the following purposes:
-Enhances structural properties
-Delivers biochemical factors
-Delivers or allows delivery of vital cell nutrients
-Exerts certain mechanical and biological influences to modify the behaviour of the cell phase
Many different materials (natural and synthetic, biodegradable and permanent) have been investigated."
Tell me about this scaffold material, because this is too vague for me. It sounds like a mechanical structure, but I've also read scaffolds are commonly polylactic acid. How can that act as a scaffold for a growing organ?
Polylactic acid is common, largely because it has the needed physical properties (rigidity, etc.) and biodegrades without toxic byproducts. Other polymers commonly used in medicine include poly(ethylene glycols) (aka PEG, used commonly in drug delivery) and chitosan, a natural polymer found, for example, in lobster shells.
I've also read of a synthetic polymer that incorporates salicylic acid in its backbone--when used as a scaffold, its biodegradation releases aspirin. I think this one is still in the academic RD&E stage, not commercial yet.
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