Current developments in polycaprolactone-based biomaterial generation, scaffolding, and biomedical applications for bone tissue regeneration

Biocompatible polycaprolactone (PCL)-based synthetic polymeric biomaterial has attracted considerable attention in recent years towards generation of suitable multifunctional scaffold for tissue regeneration, controlled drug delivery, absorbable sutures fabrication, nerve conduit generation and many more. Due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and ability to modulate physico-chemical properties, it offers a wide scope towards generation of blends with other natural biopolymers or to fabricate composites with bioceramics for suitable bone implant generation to repair both cancellous and cortical bone tissue defects. PCL-based composite offers excellent durability to load mechanical strength and thereby facilitates load bearing bone defect tissue reconstruction. Over time, various attempt was made to further improvise the properties of PCL through blending with natural polymer, surface modification, drug loading, etc, to enhance bioactivity or tissue integration or regeneration potential of PCL-based scaffolds. Also, tissue construct of PCL-based scaffold has been widely investigated through in vitro cell studies and in vivo clinical evaluation over suitable animal model. Moreover, outcomes of these studies provided great potential of PCL as a suitable biopolymer to develop complex 3D scaffolds using various cutting-edge scaffolding techniques. Furthermore, development of PCL-based materials are in continuous process specifically in translational point of view including generation of suitable di or tri block co-polymer, surface functionalization, enhancement of hydrophilicity, bioactivity, etc, to mimic the required prerequisites for successful bone tissue engineering applications.