Porous nanocellulose gels and foams: Breakthrough status in the development of scaffolds for tissue engineering

Author(s)

Ferreira, V, Filipe ; Otoni, Caio G. ^[1] ; De France, Kevin J. ^[2] ; Barud, Hernane S. ^[3] ; Lona, Liliane M. F. ^[4] ; Cranston, Emily D. ^{[5, 6]} ; Rojas, Orlando J. ^{[5, 1, 6, 7]}

Affiliation

^[1] Ferreira, Filipe, V, Aalto Univ, Sch Chem Engn, Dept Bioprod & Biosyst, FI-00076 Espoo - Finland

^[2] Empa Swiss Fed Labs Mat Sci & Technol, Lab Cellulose & Wood Mat, Uberlandstr 129, CH-8600 Dubendorf - Switzerland

^[3] Univ Araraquara UNIARA, Biopolymers & Biomat Lab BIOPOLMAT, BR-14801340 Araraquara, SP - Brazil

^[4] Ferreira, Filipe, V, Univ Campinas UNICAMP, Sch Chem Engn, BR-13083970 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[5] Univ British Columbia, Dept Chem & Biol Engn, 2360 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 - Canada

^[6] Univ British Columbia, Dept Wood Sci, 2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 - Canada

^[7] Univ British Columbia, Dept Chem, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 - Canada

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: MATERIALS TODAY; v. 37, p. 126-141, JUL-AUG 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 1

Abstract

We report on the latest scientific advances related to the use of porous foams and gels prepared with cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and nanocrystals (CNC) as well as bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) collectively nanocelluloses - as biomedical materials for application in tissue regeneration. Interest in such applications stems from the lightweight and strong structures that can be efficiently produced from these nanocelluloses. Dried nanocellulose foams and gels, including xerogels, cryogels, and aerogels have been synthesized effortlessly using green, scalable, and cost-effective techniques. Methods to control structural features (e.g., porosity, morphology, and mechanical performance) and biological interactions (e.g., biocompatibility and biodegradability) are discussed in light of specific tissues of interest. The state-of-the-art in the field of nanocellulose-based scaffolds for tissue engineering is presented, covering physicochemical and biological properties relevant to these porous systems that promise groundbreaking advances. Specifically, these materials show excellent performance for in vitro cell culturing and in vivo implantation. We report on recent efforts related to BNC scaffolds used in animal and human implants, which furthermore support the viability of CNF- and CNC-based scaffolds in next-generation biomedical materials. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/09588-9 - Functionalization of cellulose nanocrystals to developing biodegradable nanocomposites PBAT/CNC
• Grantee: Filipe Vargas Ferreira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 18/16851-3 - Nanocellulose foams filled with 45S5 Bioglass®: a three-dimensional environmentally friendly scaffold for bone tissue engineering
• Grantee: Filipe Vargas Ferreira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 18/12831-8 - In situ synthesis of biodegradable polymers using nanocrystalline and microfibrillated cellulose and lignin with no functionalization
• Grantee: Liliane Maria Ferrareso Lona
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 18/25512-8 - Biocelulose-based Cell Culture Platform
• Grantee: Hernane da Silva Barud
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants