Chitosan-based scaffolds as drug delivery systems in bone tissue engineering

The bone tissue engineering approach for treating large bone defects becomes necessary when the tissue damage surpasses the threshold of the inherent regenerative ability of the human body. A myriad of natural biode-gradable polymers and scaffold fabrication techniques have emerged in the last decade. Chitosan (CS) is espe-cially attractive as a bone scaffold material to support cell attachment and proliferation and mineralization of the bone matrix. The primary amino groups in CS are responsible for properties such as controlled drug release, mucoadhesion, in situ gelation, and transfection. CS-based smart drug delivery scaffolds that respond to envi-ronmental stimuli have been reported to have a localized sustained delivery of drugs in the large bone defect area. This review outlines the recent advances in the fabrication of CS-based scaffolds as a pharmaceutical carrier to deliver drugs such as antibiotics, growth factors, nucleic acids, and phenolic compounds for bone tissue regeneration.

Automated summary

The bone tissue engineering approach becomes necessary for treating large bone defects when the tissue damage exceeds the body's inherent regenerative ability. Chitosan is a promising bone scaffold material that supports cell attachment, proliferation, and mineralization of the bone matrix. Smart drug delivery scaffolds based on chitosan have been developed to respond to environmental stimuli and provide localized sustained drug delivery in the area of large bone defects.