The permanent need to both restore and maintain the bodily functions of human beings has led to the study and development of a wide variety of biomaterials (natural, synthetic, or hybrid), either in bulk or as coatings. Biomaterials present properties that make them suitable to come in contact with the human body without inducing any toxic reaction.
Furthermore, tissue engineering (e.g. implantable medical devices - IMD) and controlled drug delivery are only two of the multiple applications that use the fascinating and interdisciplinary field of biomaterials. As for the controlled delivery of a drug, the used biomaterial should satisfy the following requirements: biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and capacity to be bio-eliminable.
Metals, ceramics, and polymers are widely known as biomedical materials used for the development of safe IMD. Usually, these implants are made up of non-resorbable materials which could lead to implant-associated infections and even rejection by the organism. Considering that many reactions take place at the implant-to-tissue interface and to overpass the above issue, surface functionalization (which determines the response of the biological environment) is a promising solution that could increase the chance of implant success. A suitable technique should be selected for surface modification and can apply mechanical processing or thin film deposition onto the implant surface. Various deposition mechanisms have been employed for the deposition of thin films with improved physical-chemical and biological features, such as solvent casting, pulsed laser deposition (PLD), matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE), 3D printing, dip-coating, sol-gel, etc.
In the case of controlled drug delivery, the fine control of parameters such as stability, permeability, short half-life, and targeting still remains a challenge. The right choice should be made from a variety of natural or synthetic polymers. In addition to this, synthesis, physical-chemical and structural properties are also important to determine the drug release profile and ensure a safe therapeutic concentration.
The goal of the Research Topic is to bring all relevant biotechnology methods together with all advanced healthcare biomaterials by bridging the gap existing between research in the basic sciences and clinical applications. The Research Topic welcomes manuscripts dealing with the subject of new biomaterials development related to implantable medical device functionalization or controlled drug delivery systems.
This Research Topic welcomes manuscripts that cover (but is not limited to) the themes listed below:
• Design and tailoring of novel biomaterials for surface functionalization and drug delivery
• Thin films/coatings fabrication by laser technique or other synthesis methods
• Biomaterials embedded with active agents or antibiotics: from synthesis to final application
• Antibacterial surfaces with incorporated nanoparticles
• Biodegradable polymers for surface functionalization and drug delivery
• Physical-chemical and in vitro evaluation of surface-modified structures
• Biocompatibility, differentiation, and cellular adhesion at biomaterial interfaces
• Performance and efficiency of surfaces against biofilm development
• Mechanical features and characterization of designer surfaces
The permanent need to both restore and maintain the bodily functions of human beings has led to the study and development of a wide variety of biomaterials (natural, synthetic, or hybrid), either in bulk or as coatings. Biomaterials present properties that make them suitable to come in contact with the human body without inducing any toxic reaction.
Furthermore, tissue engineering (e.g. implantable medical devices - IMD) and controlled drug delivery are only two of the multiple applications that use the fascinating and interdisciplinary field of biomaterials. As for the controlled delivery of a drug, the used biomaterial should satisfy the following requirements: biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and capacity to be bio-eliminable.
Metals, ceramics, and polymers are widely known as biomedical materials used for the development of safe IMD. Usually, these implants are made up of non-resorbable materials which could lead to implant-associated infections and even rejection by the organism. Considering that many reactions take place at the implant-to-tissue interface and to overpass the above issue, surface functionalization (which determines the response of the biological environment) is a promising solution that could increase the chance of implant success. A suitable technique should be selected for surface modification and can apply mechanical processing or thin film deposition onto the implant surface. Various deposition mechanisms have been employed for the deposition of thin films with improved physical-chemical and biological features, such as solvent casting, pulsed laser deposition (PLD), matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE), 3D printing, dip-coating, sol-gel, etc.
In the case of controlled drug delivery, the fine control of parameters such as stability, permeability, short half-life, and targeting still remains a challenge. The right choice should be made from a variety of natural or synthetic polymers. In addition to this, synthesis, physical-chemical and structural properties are also important to determine the drug release profile and ensure a safe therapeutic concentration.
The goal of the Research Topic is to bring all relevant biotechnology methods together with all advanced healthcare biomaterials by bridging the gap existing between research in the basic sciences and clinical applications. The Research Topic welcomes manuscripts dealing with the subject of new biomaterials development related to implantable medical device functionalization or controlled drug delivery systems.
This Research Topic welcomes manuscripts that cover (but is not limited to) the themes listed below:
• Design and tailoring of novel biomaterials for surface functionalization and drug delivery
• Thin films/coatings fabrication by laser technique or other synthesis methods
• Biomaterials embedded with active agents or antibiotics: from synthesis to final application
• Antibacterial surfaces with incorporated nanoparticles
• Biodegradable polymers for surface functionalization and drug delivery
• Physical-chemical and in vitro evaluation of surface-modified structures
• Biocompatibility, differentiation, and cellular adhesion at biomaterial interfaces
• Performance and efficiency of surfaces against biofilm development
• Mechanical features and characterization of designer surfaces
