TABLE 1.

Common synthetic polymers used for tissue engineering and clinical applications.

Synthetic polymer	Selective in vitro applications, clinical translation and commercialization	Refs.
Poly(l-lactic acid) (PLA or PLLA)	Composite materials, 2D gels, thin films Stent coatings, orthopedic applications, wound healing, soft tissue reconstruction	15,48,62,130,144,162,185,215
Poly(glycolic acid) (PGA)	2D and 3D mesh and scaffolding Sutures, soft tissue reconstruction, nerve conduits	12,46,104,111,127,148,274,283
Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)	Composite materials, backbone for chemical modification, 2D gels and surfaces, easily modified, well-controlled structure Wound healing, soft tissue reconstruction	27,28,97,116,134,136,179,180,184,188,205,251,286
Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)	Nanoparticles, composites, electrospun scaffolds Drug delivery, cartilage tissue repair, bone scaffolds, vascular reconstruction, soft tissue engineering	11,81,99,118,122,237
Polyurethane	Wound healing, cardiac tissue engineering, skin grafting	54,58,60,108,115,186,228,231,232
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)	Cell free, non-modifiable structure with minimal degradation for 2D surfaces and implants Cardiac repair, vascular grafts	103,145,202,221,259
Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (poly(NIPAAm))	Thermo-reversible; 2D cell sheets, thin tissue layers (≤600 μm), injectable gels Cartilage tissue engineering, cell sheet technology, soft tissue repair	105,235,284
Polycaprolactone (PCL)	Electrospun scaffolds, thin films, honeycomb architectures Cardiac tissue engineering, vascular grafts, cranial reconstruction	37,47,49,51,163,196,272,286
Poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS)	3D scaffolds and films; major focus is cardiac and bone Wound healing, nerve conduits, soft tissue reconstruction, bone scaffolding	3,32,53,65,181,182,191,198,206,271,289