Recent progress on polymer scaffolds production: Methods, main results, advantages and disadvantages

Porous polymeric scaffolds provide a physical substrate for cells to attach and proliferate, allowing the formation of new tissue. These materials are broadly used in the tissue engineering field due to their ability to mimic native tissue. Each application requires specific morphologies and resistance, among other several features. To accomplish these requirements, various techniques are available, each one with its advantages and disadvantages. Among the most relevant techniques are salt leaching, solvent casting, gas foaming, thermally induced phase separation, freeze-drying, electrospinning, thermally induced self-agglomeration, and three-dimensional (3D) printing. In this review, a brief and simple explanation of each method is described, along with some recent results and each technique's advantages and disadvantages. It is expected that this review will bring important guidance in the production of polymer scaffolds for tissue engineering. (AU)