Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering: Biological Design, Materials, and Fabrication

Scaffolds for tissue engineering are devices that exploit specific and complex physical and biological functions, in vitro or in vivo, and communicate through biochemical and physical signals with cells and, when implanted, with the body environment. Scaffolds are produced mainly with synthetic materials, and their fabrication technologies are derived from already well-established industrial processes, with some new specific technologies having been developed in the last years to address required complexities.

Often, a generalist approach is followed for the translation of materials and technologies designed for other applications, without considering the specific role of scaffolds from a physical and biological point of view. The book illustrates scaffold design principles, with particular relevance to the biological requirements needed to control and drive the biological cross talk, and reviews materials and fabrication and validation methods.

Claudio Migliaresi is professor of composite materials engineering and of biomaterials and biomedical technologies, head of the Department of Industrial Engineering, dean of the School of Industrial Engineering, and head of the BIOtech Research Center of the University of Trento, Italy. His research activities range from composite materials to biodegradable polymers, biomaterials, materials, and scaffolds for tissue engineering. Prof. Migliaresi has published about 200 papers, edited the five volumes of the book Polymers in Medicine, and owns some patents.

Antonella Motta is assistant professor at the University of Trento and has qualified as associate professor of bioengineering by the Italian evaluation system. She teaches bioengineering and tissue engineering and regenerative medicine courses. Prof. Motta’s research activities are mainly focused on nature-derived polymers for tissue engineering applications, scaffold design, and interactions of material–biological systems. She has published about 90 papers, edited several chapters on tissue engineering, and owns some patents.