Table 1 List of natural and synthetic polymers used for the production of scaffolds
From: Three-dimensional in vitro culture models in oncology research
|  | Type of polymer | Subtype of polymer | Advantages (+)/disadvantages (−) |
|---|---|---|---|
Natural scaffold | Protein-based | Collagen Elastin Fibronectin Fibrin Gelatin Silk fibroin |  + Biocompatibility  + Inherent bioactivity − Complex structure − Difficulties to control the stiffness, the degradability and the bioactivity − Inter-batch variability − Technical approach relatively expensive |
Polysaccharide-based | Glycosaminoglycan (hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate) Alginate Chitosan | ||
Decellularized ECM | Â | ||
Synthetic scaffolds | PEG pHEMA |  |  + Well-defined structure  + Highly reproducible  + Possibility to modulate the biochemical and chemical properties − No inherent bioactivity − Require functionalization for cell adhesion − Lower biocompatibility than natural scaffolds |
PVA SAPs | RADA16-I (commercially available as Puramatrix®) Fmoc (commercially available as Biogelx®) H9e FEFK MAX1 | ||
Aliphatic polyester | PCL PGA PLA PLGA |