Application of polysaccharides in tissue engineering

Abstract Tissue engineering is an upfront technology being adopted in the field of regenerative medicine and the healthcare sector in the form of essentials tool to address several therapeutic strategies. It deals with addressing issues such as the regeneration of damaged and degenerated tissues (soft tissues including skin, vascular structures, muscles, ligaments; and hard tissues including bones). Material selection for the efficacy of tissue engineering is important, and it depends primarily on the mechanical strength of the native tissue. Polymer is widely used as a biomaterial for tissue engineering applications, specifically for soft-tissue engineering. These polymers are either natural or synthetic polymers. Natural polymers have superior bioactive behavior toward the host tissue over synthetic polymers. However, the latter can achieve desired mechanical properties and are more suitable for hard-tissue engineering. Natural polymers are further classified into two categories: polysaccharides and proteins. Polysaccharides used for tissue engineering applications include cellulose, gellan gum, alginate, fucoidan, and chitosan. Proteins used for tissue engineering applications include collagen, sericine, elastin, soy proteins, and silk proteins. In this chapter, we discuss the potential role of polysaccharides for tissue engineering applications.