Polymeric growth factor delivery strategies for tissue engineering

Purpose. Tissue engineering seeks to replace and regrow damaged or diseased tissues and organs from either cells resident in the surrounding tissue or cells transplanted to the tissue site. The purpose of this review is to present the application of polymeric delivery systems for growth factor delivery in tissue engineering. Methods. Growth factors direct the phenotype of both differentiated and stem cells, and methods used to deliver these molecules include the development of systems to deliver the protein itself, genes encoding the factor, or cells secreting the factor. Results. Results in animal models and clinical trials indicate that these approaches may be successfully used to promote the regeneration of numerous tissue types. Conclusions. Controlling the dose, location, and duration of these factors through polymeric delivery strategies will dictate their utility in tissue regeneration.