Hyaluronic Acid-Based Composites in Tissue Engineering

Biomaterials for tissue engineering need to adhere to the features that could mimic those of the native ECM. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is one such extensively used polymer in various tissue engineering scaffold development techniques owing to its favorable properties. A natural polymer with intrinsic cytocompatibility, cell-binding surfaces, and nonimmunogenic properties, HA can be a suitable biomaterial for most cell-responsive applications. Considering the demerits of HA, viz, easy degradability and low mechanical strength, proper scaffold manufacturing techniques need to be employed. The abundant reactive functional groups in the HA polymeric chain also make it a promising source for chemical modifications like grafting, blending, or crosslinking. This chapter deals with the use of HA-based composites in the regeneration of cartilage, bone, skin, nerve, tendon/ligament, and angiogenesis.