Scaffolds: A Novel Carrier and Potential Wound Healer

A scaffold is comprised of the polymeric central components, which are used to deliver cells, drugs, and genes into the body. Wounds, which lead to a loss of integrity of the skin and skin mortality, are common challenges encountered in plastic and reconstructive surgery. The primary goals of treatment are rapid closure, restoration of function, and aesthetic satisfaction. A paradigm shift is taking place in medicine from using synthetic implants and tissue grafts to a tissue-engineering approach that uses degradable porous material scaffolds integrated with biological cells or molecules to regenerate tissues. Scaffold structure is a novel carrier for cell and drug delivery that enhances wound healing through differentiation of endothelial and epithelial cells and production of angiogenic growth factors in cutaneous wounds. Currently, scaffolds have application in various fields of tissue engineering in repair of nasal and auricular malformations, in bone formation, in cartilage development, in periodontal regeneration, as artificial corneas, as heart valves, in ligament replacement, in tendon repair, and in tumours. In the present review, we emphasize the role of scaffolds in wound healing, and we outline types of scaffolds, properties, techniques adopted, materials used, and their applications in tissue engineering.