tissuefiber

Tissuefiber is a term used in biomaterials and textile engineering to describe fiber-shaped materials designed to combine biological tissue components with synthetic polymers in order to create bioactive, tissue-mimicking fibers. The aim is to achieve mechanical performance similar to native tissues while enabling cellular interaction and integration.

Materials commonly employed in tissuefiber constructs include natural polymers such as collagen, elastin, silk fibroin, fibrin, and decellularized extracellular matrix, sometimes paired with synthetic polymers like polycaprolactone or polylactic acid to tune strength, durability, and degradation rate. Fabrication methods span electrospinning, wet-spinning, and advanced 3D bioprinting, enabling control over fiber diameter, alignment, porosity, and overall architecture to reflect the anisotropy of target tissues.

Key properties of tissuefiber materials include biocompatibility, biodegradability, and surface bioactivity, along with a high surface-to-volume ratio that supports cell attachment and signaling. Their structural organization can be engineered to mimic the hierarchical arrangement of natural tissues, potentially improving integration with host tissue and guiding cell growth. Challenges include variability of natural components, potential immunogenic responses, sterilization and storage concerns, regulatory considerations, and higher production costs compared with conventional fibers.

Applications are primarily in regenerative medicine and biomedical engineering, including tissue engineering scaffolds, wound dressings, nerve and vascular interfaces, and drug-delivery platforms. While tissuefiber concepts are active in research and some preclinical studies, they are not yet common in mainstream consumer textiles.

See also: biomaterials, tissue engineering, electrospinning, decellularization, regenerative medicine.