• Nanomaterials: A Novel Horizon in Future of Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering
  • Narges Elahi,1 Nasrin Lotfibakhshaiesh,2,*
    1. 1 Department of Tissue Engineering , Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran 2 Department of tissue engineering and applied cell sciences, School of advanced medical sciences and technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences
    2. Tissue Engineering and Applied Cell Sciences Dep, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical sciences.


  • Introduction: Recent advances in nanotechnology have played a main role in developing multifunctional nanomaterials for tissue engineering applications. The nanomaterials can be applied as components or as additives for diverse biomedical devices such as nanorobots, nanochips, nanoimplants serving as tissue substitutes, tissue regeneration, prostheses as well as tissue and cell repair.
  • Methods: This paper is based on more than 30 research articles collected from the PubMed and Scopus science Database in the last 5 years.
  • Results: Discussion: Scaffolds as one the three key components of tissue engineering support 3D tissue formation authorizing cell attachment and immigration, deliver, and sustain cells, and biochemical factors enable diffusion of vital cell nutrients and expressed products. The proper functions of scaffolds greatly rely on their specific physical, mechanical, and biological properties, which can be achieved by appropriate biocompatible nanomaterials. Applying the substantial features of nanoscale materials, the cells’ adhesion, proliferation or differentiation of cells particularly stem cells can be moderated by impressing their attachment or manipulating their environment. In other words, numerous physicochemical features of materials such as chemical composition, surface topography, mechanical characteristics, morphology and electrical properties play important roles in interaction of nanoparticles with stem cells including physical, chemical, or surface interactions thereby the cells’ responses significantly. The various types of nanomaterials are incorporated in tissue engineering scaffolds of bone, cartilage and neural, cartilage, ocular to facilitate the improvement of biomimetic substitutes to replace damaged tissues and organs. The new generation of diagnostic and therapeutic devices are nanorobots. Nanorobots the novel technology in nano-sized. Nano-surgery, nano-cameras, nano-radiofrequency antennas are some of these nano-medical devices. Nano-surgery utilizes the fast laser beams, which are focused by an objective microscope lens to exert a controlled force for manipulating organelles and other subcellular structures. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are the current nanomaterials with the intrinsic features applying for progression of nano-needles of this device. The pill-size cameras for observing the digestive tract and implanted glucose and bone growth monitors for assistance in the treatment of diabetes and joint replacements are some examples of nano-cameras. The main goal here is functionalization of nanomaterials for enhancing diagnostic imaging, targeted drug delivery, and combination of both diagnosis and treatment.
  • Conclusion: The development of multifunctional nanomaterials illustrate a great revolution in the tissue engineering field. Depending on the tissue required to be engineered in the scaffold development, different type of nanomaterials or nanocomposites can be applied. On the other hand, improvements in implants can diminish the expenses and provide safe usage for patients while minimizing swelling, toxicity, and other side effects.
  • Keywords: Nanomaterial; scaffold; stem cell; tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.