Review: unraveling the less explored flocking technology for tissue engineering scaffolds

Abstract

Clinical translation of the scaffold-based tissue engineering (TE) therapy still faces a multitude challenges despite intense investigations and advancement over the years. In order to circumvent clinical barriers, it is important to analyze the current technical challenges in constructing a clinically efficacious scaffold and subsequent issues relating to tissue repair. The major limitations of the current scaffolds are lack of sufficient vascularisation, mechanical strength and issues related to the osseointegration of the scaffold in the case of bone tissue engineering. Hence, this review accentuates the main challenges hampering widespread clinical translation of scaffold-based TE, with a focus on novel scaffolds fabricated using flocking technology. Flock technology is a well known method used in the textile industry. Flocking applications for scaffold fabrication are less explored, yet they offer promising solutions for creating anisotropic scaffolds with high compressive strength despite their high porosity. Critical insights into the current research on fabricated flock scaffold and future directions for advancing flocking to next-generation TE scaffolds into the clinical realm are discussed. This review will serve as a comprehensive reference for understanding the vital pre-requisite properties of scaffolds, and the principles and factors governing the flocking of scaffolds and the improved properties of flock scaffolds. Further, this will promote flocking technology as a plausible candidate to spearhead TE scaffold fabrication.