Smart Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Applications

Scaffolds form an integral part of a Tissue Engineering system that helps in the adhesion, differentiation and growth of the cells in it to ultimately form the tissues/organ of interest. They form the base of many cell based therapeutic approaches globally. While there has been a growing interest among scientists,different types of scaffolds prepared from different materials have been fabricated with properties aimed at varying interests. Among the different materials used for scaffold fabrication,'auxetic' materials have been known to withstand high pressure when compressed owing to their negative Poisson's ratio.Naturally occurring auxetics along with those prepared by scientists have indicated their potential as scaffolds for tissue engineering applications.Modern techniques allow us to manipulate these materials and modify them into asmartscaffold with desired properties. The presence of hinge in the auxetics allows them to bend under stress, rather than break,making them a preferred choice of material for sustainable scaffolds.Under these circumstances,auxetic materials will expand and incorporate the mechanical stress and continue to provide the support to the damaged area.