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Natural sciences
- Free radical chemistry
The aging population is leading to a growing need for new technologies to repair tissues to replace defective organs. Currently, tissue repair is performed either by autologous grafts or by transplantation from deceased donors, causing problems with immune rejection of organs. Moreover, the low availability of donor organs is no longer in line with the ever-increasing demand for new tissues. The main challenge of tissue engineering is to solve the problems of organ shortages by providing surgeons with functional substitutes developed in vitro. The principle is based on:
The personalized development of temporary polymer matrices that allow cell colonization and tissue development with minimal inflammation;
The biocompatibility of the polymers used in tissue development;
The structural characteristics (porosity/interconnectivity of pores) and mechanical characteristics (elasticity/resistance) play an extremely important role in cell development and tissue integration.