Definition
Plain language
Choosing the physical framework that transplanted cells will grow on.
As stated in the literature
Choice of synthetic or decellularized matrix providing mechanical support and cues for seeded cells in tissue-engineered constructs.
Why it matters: The scaffold determines whether the new tissue holds its shape, gets a blood supply and survives, so getting it wrong can be fatal.
For example, a team must decide whether to grow a patient's cells on a plastic tube or on a donor windpipe stripped of its cells.