Biocompatible Synthetic Polymers for Tissue Engineering Purposes

Synthetic polymers have been an integral part ofmodern society since the early 1960s. Besides their most well-known applications to the public, such as packaging, construction,textiles and electronics, synthetic polymers have also revolutionizedthefield of medicine. Starting with thefirst plastic syringedeveloped in 1955 to the complex polymeric materials used in theregeneration of tissues, their contributions have never been moreprominent. Decades of research on polymeric materials, stem cells,and three-dimensional printing contributed to the rapid progress oftissue engineering and regenerative medicine that envisages thepotential future of organ transplantations. This perspectivediscusses the role of synthetic polymers in tissue engineering,their design and properties in relation to each type of application.Additionally, selected recent achievements of tissue engineering using synthetic polymers are outlined to provide insight into howthey will contribute to the advancement of thefield in the near future. In this way, we aim to provide a guide that will help scientistswith synthetic polymer design and selection for different tissue engineering applications.