Role of polymeric nanocomposite for tissue engineering applications

Abstract

Polymeric nanocomposites have become revolutionary biomaterials for tissue engineering due to their unparalleled tunability by combining the design flexibility of polymeric matrices and functional properties of nano-fillers. This review provides a critical discussion of the principles of designing, synthesizing, fabricating, characterizing, and applying polymeric nanocomposites towards the tissue engineering purpose. The latest achievements in polymeric nanocomposites such as artificial intelligence-based scaffold design, clinical implementation of collagen-based nerve conduit, and novel stimuli-responsive 4D nanocomposites are analyzed in detail based on their importance to the field. Instead of a mere listing of materials, the review offers a comprehensive comparison between different approaches towards fabricating polymeric nanocomposites depending on their application towards different types of tissues, characterization, and clinical applications. The regulatory aspects and current barriers towards translating these materials into clinics are discussed as well. Finally, the review offers specific predictions about the three most promising polymer-nano filler combinations and three major challenges to this field within the next five years.