Collagen as an Essential Protein for Tissue Engineering

Collagen is the predominant protein in the extracellular matrix (ECM) and contributes to around 30% of the total protein in the human body. Due to its inherent presence in ECM, collagen is used extensively in regenerative medicine to mimic the composition and structure of native ECM. In general, collagen presents an arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) motif, which signals cell adhesion and spreading, and the presence of collagen has been shown to improve cell survival. The fibrillar morphology, viscoelasticity, and rapid stress relaxation of collagen also affect the in vivo cellular response. In this chapter, different aspects of collagen and its roles in tissue engineering will be discussed, including its composition and structure, morphology, mechanical properties, and the conditions that control its degradation.