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Abstract
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worldwide. Current treatments have limitations including, low graft efficiency, shortage of donor
organs, as well as immunological problems. In this context, tissue engineering (TE) was
introduced as a novel and versatile approach for restoring tissue/organ function using living cells,
scaffold and bioactive (macro-)molecules. Among these, scaffold as a three-dimensional (3D)
support material, provide physical and chemical cues for seeding cells and has an essential role
in cell missions. Among the wide verity of scaffolding materials, natural or synthetic
biopolymers are the most commonly biomaterials mainly due to their unique physicochemical
and biological features. In this context, naturally occurring biological macromolecules are
particular of interest owing to their low immunogenicity, excellent biocompatibility and
cytocompatibility, as well as antigenicity that qualified them as popular choices for scaffolding
applications. In this review, we highlighted the potentials of natural and synthetic polymers as
scaffolding materials. The properties, advantages, and disadvantages of both polymer types as
well as the current status, challenges, and recent progresses regarding the application of them as
scaffolding biomaterials are also discussed.
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