Current Development of Collagen-Based Biomaterials for Tissue Repair and Regeneration

Collagens, especially Type I collagen, are the primary structural proteins in the body. They sustain mechanical bodily stresses, support different types of cells, and serve as anchors for various growth factors. The collagen-peptides produced when collagens are cleaved by enzymatic activities also exhibit potent biological activities. As highly biocompatible molecules with potent biological functions, the collagens have garnered wide interest as biomedical materials, in particular, for tissue repair and regeneration. This review first provides a brief introduction to collagen structure and classification, and then primarily focuses on the current development of collagen-based biomaterials, with emphasis on collagen-based scaffolding materials for tissue regeneration.