TERMIS 2021 | The advantages of polyhydroxyalkanoate-based scaffolds

Ipsita Roy, PhD, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK, comments on the benefits of using polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) over alternative materials as scaffolds in regenerative medicine. Compared to other biocompatible polymers such as polycaprolactone (PCL) and poly(L-lactide) (PLLA), PHA is a sustainable polymer and produces natural metabolites when it degrades, unlike PLLA which degrades to lactic acid. PHA is additionally more stable than hydrogels such as alginate, and can be manipulated to have different properties, allowing it to have multiple functions. This interview took place at the 6th World Congress of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS 2021).