Polymers 2011, 3, 509-526; doi:10.3390/polym3010509 OPEN ACCESS polymers ISSN 2073-4360 www.mdpi.com/journal/polymers Review Biopolymers for Hard and Soft Engineered Tissues: Application in Odontoiatric and Plastic Surgery Field Eriberto Bressan 1, Vittorio Favero 1, Chiara Gardin 2, Letizia Ferroni 2, Laura Iacobellis 2, Lorenzo Favero 1, Vincenzo Vindigni 3, Mario Berengo 1, Stefano Sivolella 1,* and Barbara Zavan 2,* 1 Department of Periodontology, School of Dentistry, University of Padova, Via Venezia 90, 35100 Padova, Italy; E-Mails:
[email protected] (E.B.);
[email protected] (V.F.);
[email protected] (L.F.);
[email protected] (M.B.) 2 Department of Histology, Microbiology and Medical Biotechnology, University of Padova, Via G. Colombo 3, 35100 Padova, Italy; E-Mails:
[email protected] (C.G.);
[email protected] (L.F.);
[email protected] (L.I.) 3 Unit of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35100 Padova, Italy; E-Mail:
[email protected] (V.V.) * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mails:
[email protected] (S.S.);
[email protected] (B.Z.). Received: 23 December 2010; in revised form: 24 January 2011 / Accepted: 15 February 2011 / Published: 28 February 2011 Abstract: The goal of modern dentistry and plastic surgery is to restore the patient to normal function, health and aesthetics, regardless of the disease or injury to the stomatognathic and cutaneous system respectively. In recent years tissue engineering and regenerative medicine have yielded many novel tissue replacements and implementation strategies. Scientific advances in biomaterials, stem cell isolation, growth and differentiation factors and biomimetic environments have created unique opportunities to fabricate tissues in the laboratory.