Bio-inspired integration of natural materials

Natural extracellular matrices (ECMs) have been isolated and extracted from various tissues, such as small intestine submucosa, skin (from cadavers), pancreas, and breast. Natural ECM materials provide physiologically relevant cellular environments, as they are a rich source of bioactive molecules. This chapter provides an overview on the applicability of natural materials, mainly the ones present in the ECM composition, to the processing of biomaterial scaffolds for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM) approaches. Natural ECM is mainly composed of collagen, arranged in a hierarchical manner with laminin, fibronectin, and proteoglycans (PGs) in a complex topography at the nanometer range. The chapter explains the origins and applications of many naturally derived materials. Among the different collagen types, type I collagen is the most abundant component of the ECM and can be used as scaffolding material, promoting cell migration, wound healing, and tissue regeneration.