Recent advances in modified poly (lactic acid) as tissue engineering materials

As an emerging science, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine focus on developing materials to replace, restore or improve organs or tissues and enhancing the cellular capacity to proliferate, migrate and differentiate into different cell types and specific tissues. Renewable resources have been used to develop new materials, resulting in attempts to produce various environmentally friendly biomaterials. Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) is a biopolymer known to be biodegradable and it is produced from the fermentation of carbohydrates. PLA can be combined with other polymers to produce new biomaterials with suitable physicochemical properties for tissue engineering applications. Here, the advances in modified PLA as tissue engineering materials are discussed in light of its drawbacks, such as biological inertness, low cell adhesion, and low degradation rate, and the efforts conducted to address these challenges toward the design of new enhanced alternative biomaterials.

Automated summary

Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine aim to develop materials that can replace, restore, or enhance organs or tissues, and improve cellular capacity for proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Renewable resources have been utilized to produce environmentally friendly biomaterials, including the biodegradable polymer poly(lactic acid) (PLA). In combination with other polymers, PLA can be modified to create biomaterials with suitable properties for tissue engineering applications. This review focuses on the advancements in modified PLA as tissue engineering materials, highlighting efforts to overcome limitations such as biological inertness, low cell adhesion, and slow degradation rate, and develop enhanced alternative biomaterials.