Scaffolds for tissue engineering are devices that exploit specific and complex physical and biological functions, in vitro or in vivo, and communicate through biochemical and physical signals with cells and, when implanted, with the body environment. Scaffolds are produced mainly with synthetic materials, and their fabrication technologies are derived from already well-established industrial processes, with some new specific technologies having been developed in the last years to address required complexities.
Often, a generalist approach is followed for the translation of materials and technologies designed for other applications, without considering the specific role of scaffolds from a physical and biological point of view. The book illustrates scaffold design principles, with particular relevance to the biological requirements needed to control and drive the biological cross talk, and reviews materials and fabrication and validation methods

Table of Contents
Premise
An Evolving State of the Art in Tissue Engineering A T DiBenedetto
The functional role of Extra Cellular Matrix E Carletti, M Stoppato, C Migliaresi, A Motta
The Premise of Tissue Engineering: Molecular Recognition C J Pateman & J W Haycock
Principles and Biological Pathways to Tissue Regeneration: The tissue regenerative niche R Cancedda & C Lo Sicco
Host Response to Biomaterials S Srinivasan & J E Babensee
Scaffold Vascularization L E Fitzpatrick, A Lisovsky, E C Ciucurel & M V Sefton
Note: The role of osteoblasts on the in vitro vascularization C Migliaresi & A Motta
Engineering Biomimetic Scaffolds N Annabi, N E Vrana, P Zorlutuna, F Dehghani & A Khademhosseini
Biomaterials for scaffolds: Synthetic polymers L Rojo, B Vázquez & J San Román
Note: Biomimetic scaffolds and remodeling C Migliaresi & A Motta
Biomaterials for scaffolds: Natural Polymers L S Wray & D L Kaplan
Hydrogels: characteristics and properties R Barbucci & D Pasqui
Note: Protein based hydrogels C Migliaresi & A Motta
Fabrication methods of tissue engineering scaffolds V M Correlo, J M Oliveira, A R C Duarte, A Martins, A L Oliveira, J Silva-Correia, R. L Reis & N M Neves
Engineered scaffolds: Materials and microstructure from nanostructures to macrostructures for tissue engineering V G Varanasi, P S Shiakolas & P B Aswath
Note: Decellularized tissues as scaffolds C Migliaresi & A Motta
Organ Printing and Cell Encapsulation S Tasoglu, U A Gurkan, S Guven & U Demirci
In vitro and in vivo testing M Fini, N Nicoli Aldini & P Torricelli
Bioreactor Strategies for In Vitro Conditioning of Engineered Tissues A Goldstein & P Thayer
Microvascular imaging methods for tissue engineering B W Thimm, S Hofmann & R Müller
Tissue Engineering: Scope, Products, Commercialization Strategies A J Court