Tissue Engineering of Mineralized Tissues: The Essential Elements

Tissue Engineering (TE) has been emerging as a valid approach to the current therapies for hard tissue regeneration/substitution. In contrast to classic biomatenal approach, TE is based on the understanding of tissue formation and regeneration, and aims to induce new functional tissues, rather than just to implant new spare parts. The present chapter focuses on aspects that are believed to be essential for hard tissue engineering. Therefore, the use of cell transplantation and culturing on biodegradable scaffolds for the development of hybrid constructs aiming at the regeneration of hard tissue engineering. Therefore, the use of cell transplantation and culturing on biodegradable scaffolds for the development of hybrid constructs aiming at the regeneration of hard tissues, like bone will be addressed. This review will also focus on the available in vitro systems for the culturing of cells-polymers constructs. Finally it will discussed the biofuctionality testing, and the several animal models that are avai lable for evaluating the developed proofs of concept.