Design of 3D smart scaffolds using natural, synthetic and hybrid derived polymers for skin regenerative applications

Abstract

Effective wound care is a major concern as many conventional wound healing methods and materials have failed in facilitating proper healing, instead disrupts the overall healing process, leading to the development of chronic wounds. Advancement in tissue engineering has led to the development of scaffolds; a 3D construct which can be utilized as a template for cell growth and regeneration while preventing infection along with acceleration of the wound healing process. Natural and synthetic polymers are used extensively for scaffold production and hybrid scaffolds are also introduced which constitutes a combination of natural and synthetic polymers. This review highlights the design of scaffolds using different kinds of polymers for skin tissue engineering.