Fabrication of nanofibers and nanotubes for tissue regeneration and repair

Nanobioscience is the research area that focuses on small materials from submicrometric to nanometric scale able to interact with tissues at the molecular level with high degree of functional specificity and control. A-large group of nanomaterials including nanotubes, nanofibers, liposomes, nanoparticles, polymeric micelles, and nanogels are currently investigating for this scope. Such materials can be manipulated to influence specific activities of biological systems at a molecular or even supramolecular level and responding to the cell environment also minimizing undesired side effects. Hence, promising strategies based on the use of nanotubes and/or nanofibers are emerging to trigger specific cell events in vitro and in vivo for the treatment of damaged or cancerous tissues. Nanotubes and nanofibers can be produced from various materials, such as carbon, synthetic polymers, biological macromolecules (i.e., DNA, proteins, and lipids), silicon, and glasses, case by case, through the implementation "ad hoc" of different process technologies. As a function of their peculiar composition and chemistry, they may be biodegradable or biostable with different response in the host tissue, thus playing a different role in the interface of cells with scaffolds or extracellular tissue analogues.In this chapter, we provide an overview of current studies based on the use of nanotubes and/or nanofibers in tissue repair and regeneration, by emphasizing the influence of processes and their parameters onto the ultimate properties of nanoscale systems for an effective validation in vitro and in vivo.