Controlled Growth Factor Delivery for Tissue Engineering

TLDR

Growth factors mediate cell–microenvironment communication and are essential for tissue regeneration, but their short half‑lives, large size, limited tissue penetration, and systemic toxicity hinder conventional delivery. This review outlines design criteria for growth‑factor delivery vehicles tailored to the factor and its microenvironment. We examine localized delivery methods, focusing on polymer‑based strategies to achieve controlled release.

Abstract

Growth factors play a crucial role in information transfer between cells and their microenvironment in tissue engineering and regeneration. They initiate their action by binding to specific receptors on the surface of target cells and the chemical identity, concentration, duration, and context of these growth factors contain information that dictates cell fate. Hence, the importance of exogenous delivery of these molecules in tissue engineering is unsurprising, considering their importance for tissue regeneration. However, the short half-lives of growth factors, their relatively large size, slow tissue penetration, and their potential toxicity at high systemic levels, suggest that conventional routes of administration are unlikely to be effective. In this review, we provide an overview of the design criteria for growth factor delivery vehicles with respect to the growth factor itself and the microenvironment for delivery. We discuss various methodologies that could be adopted to achieve this localized delivery, and strategies using polymers as delivery vehicles in particular.