What type of materials are commonly used for creating biodegradable scaffolds?

Biodegradable scaffolds play a crucial role in tissue engineering by providing temporary support for cell attachment and growth while allowing for natural tissue regeneration. Synthetic polymers are commonly chosen for creating these scaffolds primarily because they can be tailored to exhibit specific properties such as biodegradability, mechanical strength, and porosity.

Materials like polylactic acid (PLA) and polyglycolic acid (PGA) are examples of synthetic polymers that break down into non-toxic byproducts, which the body can safely absorb or excrete over time. This biodegradability is essential in tissue engineering, as it allows the scaffold to provide structural support during the initial phase of tissue formation and gradually disappear as the new tissue takes over.

In contrast, other materials such as metals, glass, and non-degradable ceramics do not possess the same desirable property of biodegradability. Metals can induce inflammatory responses and may not support cell growth in the same way as biodegradable materials. Glass materials are often too brittle for scaffold applications, limiting their use in dynamic environments of biological systems. Non-degradable ceramics, while strong and biocompatible, remain in the body and do not provide a temporary support structure that naturally dissolves as tissue forms. Thus, synthetic polymers stand out