Electrospinning of biomimetic fibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering: a review

Fibrous microstructure has drawn extensive attention in tissue engineering due to its common presence in connective and muscle tissues. This paper reviews the latest advances in electrospinning as a nanofiber fabrication technique for biomimetic scaffolds. Specifically, we focus on scaffolds with gradients in element and structure, 3 D nanofiber scaffolds, and hydrogel scaffolds incorporated with nanofibers. Future directions of electrospinning research for tissue engineering are to realize the full potential of integrating the tunable 3 D fibrous microarchitecture in scaffold manufacturing at a clinically relevant scale, and to develop novel micro- and nano-scaffold architecture with modulated functionality for optimal tissue regeneration.