Glucose diffusion in tissue engineering membranes and scaffolds

Tissue engineering has evolved into an exciting area of research due to its potential in regenerative medicine. The shortage of organ donor as well as incompatibility between patient and donor pose an alarming concern. This has resulted in an interest in regenerative therapy where the importance of understanding the transport properties of critical nutrients such as glucose in numerous tissue engineering membranes and scaffolds is crucial. This is due to its dependency on successful tissue growth as a measure of potential cure for health issues that cannot be healed using traditional medical treatments. In this regard, the diffusion of glucose in membranes and scaffolds which act as templates to support cell growth must be well grasped. Keeping this in mind, this review paper aims to discuss the glucose diffusivity of these materials. The paper reviews four interconnected issues, namely, (i) the glucose diffusion in tissue engineering materials, (ii) porosity and tortuosity of these materials, (iii) the relationship between microstructure of the material and diffusion and, (iv) estimation of glucose diffusivities in liquids, which determine the effective diffusivities in the porous membranes or scaffolds. It is anticipated that the review paper would help improve the understanding of the transport properties of glucose in membranes and scaffolds used in tissue engineering applications.