Propelling Minimally Invasive Tissue Regeneration with Next-Era Injectable Pre-Formed Scaffolds.

The growing aging population, with its associated chronic diseases, underscores the urgency for effective tissue regeneration strategies. Biomaterials have played a pivotal role in the realm of tissue reconstruction and regeneration, with a distinct shift towards minimally invasive (MI) treatments. This transition, fueled by engineered biomaterials, has steered away from invasive surgical procedures to embrace approaches offering reduced trauma, accelerated recovery, and cost-effectiveness. In the realm of MI tissue repair and cargo delivery, various techniques have been explored. While in situ polymerization has been prominent, it is not without its challenges. This narrative review explores diverse biomaterials, fabrication methods, and biofunctionalization for injectable pre-formed scaffolds, focusing on their unique advantages. The injectable pre-formed scaffolds, exhibiting compressibility, controlled injection, and maintained mechanical integrity, emerge as promising alternative solutions to in situ polymerization challenges. The conclusion of this review emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary design facilitated by synergizing fields of materials science, advanced 3D biomanufacturing, and mechanobiological studies, and innovative approaches for effective MI tissue regeneration. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.