Biomaterials and Nanotechnology

The scaffolds can be considered at different length scales the macrostructure, the microstructure and the nanostructure. On the macro- and micro-scales it has been shown that surface chemical composition and topography have strong effects on cell behaviour, but less is known about how cells react to nanoscale structures. However, cells are likely to be able to respond to nanostructures, since they live inside the extracellular matrix (ECM) containing nanoscale collagen fibrils and since their own surface is structured on the nanoscale level (receptors and filopodia). 

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Ayres, N., Polymer Brushes Applications in Biomaterials and Nanotechnology, Pdvm. Chem. 2010,1, 769-777. 

Ayres, N., 2010. Polymer brushes applications in biomaterials and nanotechnology. Polym. Chem. 1, 769-777. http //dx.doi.org/10.1039/B9PY00246D. 

Wen, X., Shi, D., Zhang, N., 2005. Applications of nanotechnology in tissue engineering. In Nalwa, H. (Ed.), Handbook of Nanostmctured Biomaterials and Their Applications in Nanobiotechnology. American Scientific Publishers, Stevenson Ranch, CA, pp. 1—23. 

When electrospun, the resulting scaffolds mimic the structure of extracellular matrix. Thus, further development of these polymers is needed to meet the demands of the next generation of biomaterials and support the advancement of medical devices, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and nanotechnology. 

Mumgan, R., Ramakrishna, S., 2004a. Nanostructured biomaterials. In Nalwa, H.S. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, vol. 7. American Scientific... 

Robin S, Soulimane M, Levelle S. Interactions of biofilm—forming bacteria with abiotic surfaces RSC Nanoscience and Nanotechnology No 21. In Tofail S, editor. Biological interacations with surface charge in biomaterials. RSC 2012. p. 122—35. Ch. 9. 

Caldorera-Moore M Peppas, N. A (2009). Micro- and nanotechnologies for intelligent and responsive biomaterial-based medical systems. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 61, 1391-1401. 

Micro- and nanotechnologies have emerged in the last years also as potentially effective fabrication tools for addressing the challenges faced in tissue engineering, drug delivery and optical imaging. The ability to control and manipulate polymeric biomaterials on a micrometric and nanometric scale with these fabrication techniques has... 

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the bulk of this section is largely identical to the previous edition with the notable exception of the addition of a chapter relating to micro- and nanotechnologies in advanced biomaterials. The content remains current, and the following introduction is taken from the previous edition with minor changes describing the content of this Section. In addition, a number of relevant biomaterials journals have been added to the Hst. 

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