Synthetic/Natural hybrid scaffold for tissue regeneration

For the scaffold materials, the family of poly(α-hydroxy acid)s, such as polyglycolide (PGA) and polylactide (PLA) and its copolymers like poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA), is extensively used or tested in the area of tissue-engineered organs as a bioerodible material due to good biocompatibility, controllable biodegradabilitiy, and relatively good processability. However, it is more desirable to endow the PLA, PGA, and PLGA scaffold with new functionality for tissue-engineered bioorgans. This chapter introduces the focus of synthetic/natural hybrid biomaterials as PLGA/fibrin in order to approach to a more natural three-dimensional (3D) environment and support biological signals for tissue growth and reorganization of chondrocyte and intervertebral disc in vitro and in vivo. Also, the reduction of inflammatory reaction of PLGA through the hybridization of demineralized bone particles (DBPs) and small intestine submucosa (SIS) has been reviewed for the supporting of the information of the design of tissue-engineered scaffolds.