Progress of gelatin-based 3D approaches for bone regeneration

The current shortage of tissue and organ donor supply together with the often severe immune complications related to organ transplantation have fueled new scientific disciplines such as tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The latter is an interdisciplinary field that applies biological and engineering principles to the design and development of technologies that promote regeneration to restore diseased and injured tissues, such as bone. There are a number of strategies to address this issue. Of particular relevance is the fabrication of biomaterial-based three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds, micro and nanoparticles as well as in situ forming hydrogels that are used to design temporary substitutes of the natural tissue that promotes its regeneration. This review article highlights the central role of gelatin for the design and fabrication of these formulations for bone tissue repair and regeneration. This review describes herein a state-of-the-art overview of gelatin formulations for their use in regenerative medicine strategies. Present challenges and future perspectives of these approaches are discussed in order to achieve safe and effective clinical implementation. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.