Article

Smart biomaterials design for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston Salem, NC 27157, USA.
Biomaterials (impact factor: 7.4). 01/2008; 28(34):5068-73. DOI:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2007.07.042
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT As a prominent tool in regenerative medicine, tissue engineering (TE) has been an active field of scientific research for nearly three decades. Clinical application of TE technologies has been relatively restricted, however, owing in part to the limited number of biomaterials that are approved for human use. While many excellent biomaterials have been developed in recent years, their translation into clinical practice has been slow. As a consequence, many investigators still employ biodegradable polymers that were first approved for use in humans over 30 years ago. During normal development tissue morphogenesis is heavily influenced by the interaction of cells with the extracellular matrix (ECM). Yet simple polymers, while providing architectural support for neo-tissue development, do not adequately mimic the complex interactions between adult stem and progenitor cells and the ECM that promote functional tissue regeneration. Future advances in TE and regenerative medicine will depend on the development of "smart" biomaterials that actively participate in the formation of functional tissue. Clinical translation of these new classes of biomaterials will be supported by many of the same evaluation tools as those developed and described by Professor David F. Williams and colleagues over the past 30 years.

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Keywords

architectural support
 
biodegradable polymers
 
Clinical translation
 
complex interactions
 
evaluation tools
 
excellent biomaterials
 
extracellular matrix
 
functional tissue
 
Future advances
 
limited number
 
neo-tissue development
 
normal development tissue morphogenesis
 
Professor David F. Williams
 
progenitor cells
 
prominent tool
 
promote functional tissue regeneration
 
recent years
 
scientific research
 
simple polymers
 
TE technologies