Prospects of Natural Polymeric Scaffolds in Peripheral Nerve Tissue-Regeneration.

Tissue-engineering is emerging field and can be considered as a novel therapeutic intervention in nerve tissue-regeneration. The various pitfalls associated with the use of autografts in nerve-regeneration after injuries have inspired researchers to explore the possibilities using various natural polymers. In this context, the present chapter summarizes the advances of the various types of natural polymeric scaffolds such as fibrous scaffolds, porous scaffolds, and hydrogels in nerve-regeneration and repair process. The functionalization of the scaffolds with wide-range of biomolecules and their biocompatibility analysis by employing various cells (e.g., mesenchymal, neural progenitor stem cells) along with the in vivo regeneration outcomes achieved upon implantation are discussed here. Besides, the various avenues that have been explored so far in nerve tissue-engineering, the use of the extracellular matrix in enhancing the functional polymeric scaffolds and their corresponding outcomes of regeneration are mentioned. We conclude with the present challenges and prospects of efficient exploration of natural polymeric scaffolds in the future to overcome the problems of nerve-regeneration associated with various nerve injuries and neurodegenerative disorders.