Scaffolds for pancreatic tissue engineering

Emerging technologies in regenerative medicine are crucial to overcome the organ donor shortage and the limitations in conventional diabetes treatments. A bioengineered pancreas, obtained through the development of a three-dimensional scaffold from both animal and human extracellular matrix, represents the endeavor to provide alternative therapies to pancreatic transplantation. This alternative hopes to provide the needed components, supply a temporary substrate that enhances cellular function, and aid organized development before implantation. This chapter will present an overview of the different techniques used to engineer scaffolds from natural and synthetic materials. We will discuss their main properties and applications in the regenerative medicine pancreatic research field.