Biodegradable & Tissue Engineering Material

Tissue engineering is a multidisciplinary field that applies the principles of engineering, life sciences, and cell and molecular biology toward the development of biological substitutes that restore, maintain, and improve tissue functions.

The basic types of biomaterials used in tissue engineering can be broadly classified as synthetic polymers, which include relatively hydrophobic materials, such as the α-hydroxy acid [a family that includes poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid, PLGA], polyanhydrides, and others; naturally occurring polymers, such as complex sugars (hyaluronan, chitosan); and inorganics (hydroxyapatite). There are also functional or structural classifications, such as whether they are hydrogels, injectable, surface modified, capable of drug delivery, utilized by specific applications, and so on.