Biomacromolecules for Tissue Engineering: Emerging Biomimetic Strategies

Biomacromolecules used for tissue engineering must possess either inherent biochemical cues for tissue regeneration or be chemically modified to incorporate bioactive, tissue-specific moieties. To this end, many strategies have emerged recently in the field to both utilize novel bioinspired macromolecules for tissue engineering and apply bioconjugation strategies for the functionalization of biomacromolecules with tissue-specific cues and other biological properties of interest. Furthermore, biomacromolecules have been processed into more highly biomimetic and clinically deliverable scaffold and hydrogel systems using 3D printing and the fabrication of in situ forming hydrogels, respectively. To support these advances, tissue engineers have also pursued greater spatiotemporal control over macromolecular bioactivity and the modulation of scaffold and hydrogel properties in response to both physiological and external stimuli. This Perspective thus highlights a few notable advances and techniques in the usage of biomacromolecules for tissue engineering applications, including new bioinspired macromolecules, advanced hydrogel and scaffold fabrication techniques, and spatiotemporal control over biomacromolecule constructs.