Patient-Tailored Biomimetic Scaffold Constructs for Bone Regeneration—Volume II

Dear Colleagues,

The present-day health demographic scenario shows an increasingly aging population. Age-related bone frailty represents a critical medical challenge in particular, owing to the physiologic decrease in bone’s self-healing properties and the heterogeneous co-morbidities that coexist in the elderly. The incidence of fragility fractures in Europe was nearly 3 million in 2017, and is foreseen to increase significantly in the next few decades, creating a pressing need for rapid technological improvement in the field of bone reconstructive/regenerative techniques. Native bone tissue features a complex three-dimensional structure, with multiple levels of complexity, from the molecular through the nanostructure to the micro- and macroscopic architecture. To achieve an effective restoration of tissue morphology and functionality, new biomimetic systems and bone tissue engineering strategies are emerging as alternatives to bone grafting and conventional static scaffold compounds, in order to achieve the dynamic changes needed for the correct balance between mechanical strength and plasticity in the newly formed bone. Implants for tissue engineering strongly depend on (bio)materials, on the manufacturing process, and on the possible implementation of biological structures, including stem cells, growth factors, and derivatives. In this context, the rapid advancement in additive manufacturing techniques offers a promising tool, particularly in the vision of a custom-made, patient-oriented approach. However, it is still necessary to better identify and overcome technical and regulatory drawbacks.

This Special Issue aims to address the challenges in the development of new biomimetic systems and technologies in the field of bone regeneration and reconstruction, including new scaffold design and engineering novel biomaterials, innovative scaffold design, advanced (bio)printing and 4D printing techniques, scaffold–cell interactions, drug delivery and scaffold functionalization strategies, imaging techniques for ultrastructural characterization, and valuable state-of-the-art meta-analyses, in order to provide a complete and multidisciplinary vision of the faced thematic, from the engineering aspect to the biological and clinical point of view.

Prof. Dr. Ilaria Cacciotti
Prof. Dr. Wanda Lattanzi
Prof. Dr. Alessandro Arcovito
Prof. Dr. Giuseppina Nocca
Guest Editors

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