Recent Advances of Biomedical Scaffolds for Esophageal Regeneration

The esophagus is an important part of the human digestive system. Due to its limited regenerative capacity and the infeasibility of donor transplantation, esophageal replacement has become an important problem to be solved urgently in clinics. In recent years, with the rapid development of tissue engineering technology in the biomedical field, tissue engineering stent (artificial esophagus) provides a new therapeutic approach for the repair and reconstruction of esophageal defects and has made remarkable progress. Biomedical esophageal stent materials have also experienced the development process from non-absorbable materials to absorbable materials, and then to new materials with composite cells and biological factors. In this paper, the composition, functional characteristics, and limitations of non-degradable scaffolds, biodegradable scaffolds, and Decellularized Matrix (DM) scaffolds specially designed for these applications are reviewed. Non-absorbable stents are typically composed of synthetic polymers or metals that provide structural support but fail to bind to surrounding tissues over time. In contrast, biodegradable stents are designed to break down gradually in the body while promoting cell infiltration and promoting new tissue formation. DM scaffolds can alleviate autoimmune reactions, preserve natural tissue characteristics, and enable recellularization during auto-repair. In addition, the significance of various cell-loaded materials in esophageal replacement has been explored, and the inclusion of cells in scaffold design has been shown to have the potential to enhance integration with host tissue and improve postoperative functional outcomes. These advances underscore ongoing efforts to closely mimic the structure of the natural esophagus.