Chitosan-Based Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Applications

Chitosan, a deacetylated derivative of chitin, has emerged as a leading biopolymer for scaffold design in tissue engineering. Its favourable properties—including intrinsic biocompatibility, biodegradability and a cationic nature—enable strong interactions with cells and bioactive molecules. Free amine groups along the polymer backbone permit chemical modifications that tune mechanical strength, degradation kinetics and surface adhesiveness. Fabrication methods range from freeze-drying and salt leaching to electrospinning, cryogelation and three-dimensional bioprinting, each affording precise control over pore size, interconnectivity and overall architecture. Composite approaches incorporating bioactive ceramics (such as hydroxyapatite or bioactive glass) or proteins (collagen, whey protein isolate) further enhance osteoconductivity, mechanical resilience and bioactivity, making such scaffolds well suited for bone, cartilage and osteochondral repair. Injectable chitosan hydrogels with thermo- and pH-responsiveness have been developed for minimally invasive delivery into irregular defects, while porous chitosan membranes serve as antimicrobial wound dressings and haemostatic agents. Advances in additive manufacturing now enable patient-specific, anatomically accurate constructs with gradient properties for zonal tissue regeneration. Collectively, these developments underscore the global significance of chitosan-based scaffolds as versatile, cost-effective platforms capable of addressing diverse regenerative medicine challenges.

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Chitosan-Based Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Applications publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in chitosan-based scaffolds for tissue engineering applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Pore interconnectivity: Degree to which pores within a scaffold are linked, facilitating nutrient diffusion and cell migration.

Cryogelation: Formation of macroporous hydrogels through polymer gelation at subzero temperatures, yielding elastic networks.

Osteoconduction: Property of a material to serve as a template for new bone growth along its surface and internal pores.

Thermo-responsiveness: Ability of a material to undergo reversible sol–gel transitions in response to temperature changes.

Lyophilisation (freeze-drying): Dehydration technique where ice is sublimated under vacuum, preserving scaffold microstructure.

References

1. S‑Protected Thiolated Chitosan versus Thiolated Chitosan as Cell Adhesive Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2023).
2. Chitosan scaffolds with mesoporous hydroxyapatite and mesoporous bioactive glass. Progress in Biomaterials (2023).
3. Chitosan-Based Biomaterials for Tissue Regeneration. Pharmaceutics (2023).
4. Recent Advances of Chitosan-Based Injectable Hydrogels for Bone and Dental Tissue Regeneration. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology (2020).
5. Three-Dimensional Printing Constructs Based on the Chitosan for Tissue Regeneration: State of the Art, Developing Directions and Prospect Trends. Materials (2020).