Table 4.

Summary of tissue engineering scaffolds types, advantages, and limitations.

Type	Examples	Advantages	Disadvantages
Biological	Decellularized tissues, small intestinal submucosa, or ECM components	• Preserve normal tissue structure and ECM content • Provide a template for cellular growth (129)	• Invasive isolation protocols • Require extensive processing for decellularization which affects the structure and mechanical properties of the ECM.
Synthetic	Natural polymers: • Proteins, polysaccharides, and polynucleotides	Natural polymers: • Contain binding sites that drive cellular processes such as differentiation and proliferation	Natural polymers: • Batch-to-batch differences • Less reproducible • Difficult to determine the complex interactions that occur between the scaffold and the cells (127) • Low mechanical properties
	Synthetic polymers: • Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), poly(vinyl alcohol), or poly(2-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate), and polycaprolactone	Synthetic polymers: • Flexible and reproducible • Longer shelf-life • High mechanical properties	Synthetic polymers: • Inert- lack bioactive molecules • Possible toxicity and biodegradation by-products • Material stiffness could influence cell phenotype and responses