Challenges and solutions in the production of advanced nanostructured biomaterials for medical applications

Nanoparticles, nanocarriers, and nanostructured materials are largely used in biomedical and pharmaceutical applications, as nanotherapeutics or theragnostic devices, and for smart implantable and/or interactive systems adopted in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. However, their traditional production techniques suffer from numerous limits; among them: long processing times, use of toxic organic solvents and their residues in the final products, the collapse of the micro- and nano-structure during processing, particle aggregation phenomena, etc. In this context, the selection of biocompatible and biodegradable materials, as well as of a proper production process, is crucial to potentiate and to make effective the final device performance.

This Research Topic aims to fully approach the innovative materials and processes used for the realization of smart nanomaterials and nanostructured devices, to be tested in the pharmaceutical and biomedical field, overcoming the limits of the traditional methods until now proposed. To address these goals, advanced fabrication processes (e.g., supercritical assisted processes, 3D printing, electrospinning/spraying, etc.) to generate innovative nanomaterials as well as and in vivo/in vitro models to study the nanosystems biological activity and toxicity will be considered.

In particular, original research articles, as well as reviews, focusing on the following themes are encouraged:
● use of new and advanced processes to produce nanoparticles, nanostructured composite micro- and nano-carriers, nanoporous and nanostructured biomaterials
● innovative nanosystems, nanocomposites, and nanosurface modifications for biomedical and pharmaceutical use
● nanomaterials characterization, drug delivery, and in vivo/in vitro models
● modeling of nano- and mesomaterials.