Smart & Biomimetic Tissue Engineering Scaffolds: Bioinspired Design, Innovative Modeling, and Production Strategies

Dear Colleagues,

The regenerative medicine field, tissue engineering scaffolds, namely supporting biomaterials or structures that sustain cell growth, proliferation, and differentiation into desired tissues and functional biological structures, have always played a fundamental role both in vitro and in vivo. Ideally, tissue engineering scaffolds should recapitulate the microcosmos of physical, chemical, and biological properties of the extracellular matrices, and thus provide stem cells with a dynamic and multi-scale niche, capable of driving the formation of tissues and organs. However, engineering the perfect tissue engineering scaffold is still a research goal.

Considering the state-of-the-art, is it important to highlight that, in spite of the enormous potential of tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and biofabrication in the future of human healthcare, there are still some essential unsolved questions as regards the design, modeling and production of safe, sustainable and effective tissue-engineering scaffolds. 

This Special Issue will help to gather research trends, collect best practices, and put forward key questions in connection with the perfect tissue-engineering scaffold research challenge. These ideal scaffolds should be smart, in the sense of being capable of performing multiple functions, either autonomously or in a supervised way, as required for a fine-tuned performance within multi-scale living organisms. They should be also biomimetic, as already advanced, for enhanced interaction or communication with cells.

Recent progress in bioinspired and personalized computer-aided design approaches, innovative modeling or simulation methods, and hierarchical multi-material prototyping and production strategies are of interest for this Special Issue. Studies linked to highly innovative research directions, the use of artificial intelligence methods for the optimization of scaffold designs and properties, the development of new modelling strategies that are capable of predicting the interactions between cells and scaffolds, the application of 3D and 4D printing techniques, as an alternative or complement to bioprinting processes, and the development of manufacturing chains, for bridging the gap across the nano-, micro-, meso- and macro-scales are highly encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Andres Diaz Lantada
Guest Editor

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• tissue engineering
• regenerative medicine
• biofabrication
• additive manufacturing
• smart materials and structures
• hierarchical materials
• bioinspired design
• multi-scale modeling and simulation
• multi-physical/chemical modeling
• advanced manufacturing technologies
• 3D and 4D printing
• bioprinting