Peptide-conjugated biodegradable polyester scaffolds for bone regeneration

Bone grafting remains one of the most common surgical procedures worldwide, with alloplastic grafts offering scalable and versatile alternatives to autografts. Biodegradable polyester-based scaffolds have emerged as a promising solution due to their tunable mechanical properties, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and recent advances in fabrication technologies. However, their lack of intrinsic bioactivity has driven increasing interest in bioactive functionalization. As a candidate for such functionalization, peptides offer several advantages, including ease of synthesis, specificity in biological interactions, and adaptability to chemical modification. This review provides a comprehensive overview of biodegradable polyester-peptide scaffold systems for bone tissue engineering. In particular, the review outlines essential design requirements for bone scaffolds, introduces widely used polyesters, and summarizes established techniques for scaffold fabrication and peptide conjugation. A range of examples demonstrating in vitro and in vivo efficacy is presented to depict the current progress in peptide-functionalized polyester scaffold systems. By summarizing current advances and outlining key challenges, this review inspires the rational design of next-generation scaffolds for bone regeneration.