Supercritical fluid technologies and tissue engineering scaffolds

Supercritical fluid (SCF) processing methods possess advantages over standard processing methods for the production of scaffolds for use in tissue engineering. Advantages include the absence of organic solvents, the ability to incorporate delicate biologicals without loss of activity, and control over the morphology of an internal porous architecture. This review describes SCF processing methods of relevance to tissue engineering and controlled release strategies, with focus on the incorporation of bioactives such as protein growth factors. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.