Role of Nanoscale Delivery Systems in Tissue Engineering

Nanotechnology offers enormous opportunities in regulation of the physical, mechanical, electrical, and biological properties of tissue engineering scaffolds. Nanoscale structures have been used as delivery agents that can be incorporated in the scaffolds to deliver the required signaling molecules for tissue regeneration. Purpose of Review Purpose of the present review is to discuss the requirements for a tissue engineering construct and how the nanoscale delivery systems facilitate achieving it. Review also depicts the various types of nanostructures explored for the delivery of growth factors, cell differentiation agents, genes, and antimicrobials so as to enable efficient tissue regeneration. How the dynamic nature of tissue can be extrapolated in the scaffold by the use of nanodelivery systems are also presented. Recent Findings Among various nanostructures, polymer and lipid based have been widely used as delivery systems for tissue engineering due to their easily customizable biodegradability and functionalization. Though the inorganic nano-systems offer advantages in terms of imaging and trigger responsiveness, toxicity issues limit their extensive use. Though there are many literatures available on nanoscale delivery systems for tissue engineering, none of them has reached a level of clinical translation. Summary Nanotechnology-based delivery systems opened wide opportunities to alter the characteristics of tissue engineering scaffolds and cellular behavior, ultimately to achieve a better control over neotissue formation. A thorough examination is crucial to establish product safety, effectiveness, or other attributes before they reach clinics.