3D composite tissue-engineering scaffolds as a donor material in reconstructive surgery of soft tissues: characteristics and current state of the problem

Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine are emerging areas of medical science. They are actively used in clinical practice including practical and scientific fields of plastic surgery. Among these products are scaffold-based devices. These technologies are currently being studied as tissue matrices, advanced dressings and tools for delivering drugs and bioactive molecules (scaffolds functionalized to address clinical needs). A key scientific challenge is extreme heterogeneity of approaches to producing finished products and, consequently, to solving complex logistical problems. Potential for modern technologies customized for various tasks and multidisciplinary approach underpin the relevance of this review. This review presents evidence base of current research trends, perspective approaches to scaffold functionalization, and, consequently, development vectors in scaffold technologies.