Synthetic biomaterials

Lutolf MP, Hubbell JA (2005) Synthetic biomaterials as instructive extracellular microenvironments for morphogenesis in tissue engineering. Nat Biotechnol 23 47-55... 

Siloxanes are the most extensively used synthetic biomaterial due to several reasons such as flexibility, chemical and biological inertness, low capacity to bring about blood clotting, overall low degree of biological toxicity, and good stability within biological environments. 

The increasing demand for synthetic biomaterials, especially polymers, is mainly due to their availability in a wide variety of chemical compositions and physical properties, their ease of fabrication into complex shapes and structures, and their easily tailored surface chemistries. Although the physical and mechanical performance of most synthetic biomaterials can meet or even exceed that of natural tissue (see Table 5.15), they are often rejected by a number of adverse effects, including the promotion of thrombosis, inflammation, and infection. As described in Section 5.5, biocompatibility is believed to be strongly influenced, if not dictated, by a layer of host proteins and cells spontaneously adsorbed to the surfaces upon their implantation. Thus, surface properties of biomaterials, such as chemistry, wettability, domain structure, and morphology, play an important role in the success of their applications. 

A comprehensive review of radiation techniques in the formulation of synthetic biomaterials was published by Kaetsu.260 Substrate modification by electron beam was discussed by Wendrinsky at RadTech Europe 2001.261... 

Costantino PD, Friedman CD, Lane AG. Synthetic biomaterials in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. Facial Plastic Surgery 1993, 9, 1-15. 

The self-assembling cyclic D,L-cc-peptide nanotubes described demonstrate high stability on surfaces even after two months exposure to ambient temperature. NDI peptide nanotubes 18 may provide a facile method for the preparation of a new class of synthetic biomaterials [16b, 34a]. Recently Sanders and co-workers demonstrated the formation of amino acid-derived NDI hydrogen-bonded supramo-lecular organic M-helical nanotubes in nonpolar solvents and also in the solid state [34b]. The hydrogen-bonded supramolecular nature of the helical nanotubes was confirmed by the circular dichroism (CD) spectrum in chloroform with the addition of methanol, destruction of the supramolecular nanotubes was observed, due to the capabilities of such an aprotic solvent to compete for hydrogen-bond interactions [34b]. 

Due to their availability and controllable degradation rate, synthetic biomaterials are also considered to be potential candidates in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Compared to natural polymers, synthetic polymers can easily be tailored into any form snitable for tissue engineering applications. Such materials should provide a three-dimensional (3D) structure that not only plays a supportive role for the tissue but also interacts with cells to control their... 

The designed synthetic biomaterial was an oligopeptide and was described by three regions, a ligand for cell attachment, an anchor for covalent attachment to... 

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