Polyester nano- and microtechnologies for Tissue Engineering

Polyesters such as poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA), poly(l-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) have been explored extensively to fabricate nano- and microdevices for tissue regeneration and drug delivery applications. They are FDA approved and their applications in tissue engineering span from bone regeneration to muscle regeneration. The use of polyesters in tissue engineering (TE) voids the use of autografts and allografts, where these are considered as a gold standard for tissue regeneration purposes. Moreover, they are used widely for delivering growth factors. The benefits of using them for tissue engineering include suitable biocompatibility, biodegradability, mechanical properties, ease of processing for required size and duration of degradation, and cell response. This chapter focuses on nano- and microdevices of PLLA, PLGA, PCL, their copolymers, blends, and possible surface functionalization while discussing their applications for tissue engineering applications. Additionally, their applications with various cells and growth factors for bone, cartilage, ligament, tendon, nerve, and muscle are also discussed.