Science, Art, Litt, Science based Art & Science Communication

Biomaterial Science

Q: What is the goal in biomaterial science?

Krishna: Biomaterials can be defined simply as natural or manufactured (man-made) materials that comprise all or part of a living structure or biomedical device.

A designed biomaterial should serve its purpose in the environment of the living body without affecting other bodily organs. For that, a biomaterial should be nontoxic. Toxicity for biomaterials deals with the substances that migrate out of the biomaterials. In general, nontoxicity refers to noncarcinogenic, nonpyrogenic, nonallergenic, blood compatible, and noninflammatory of biomaterial. It is reasonable to say that a biomaterial should not give off anything from its mass unless it is specifically engineered to do so(2).

Biomaterials play an integral role in medicine today—restoring function and facilitating healing for people after injury or disease. Biomaterials may be natural or synthetic and are used in medical applications to support, enhance, or replace damaged tissue or a biological function.

For instance biomaterial-made bones can be used to replace damaged bones. Metals, ceramics, plastic, polymers, glass, and even living cells and tissue all can be used in creating a biomaterial. There are some hybrid biomaterial combinations too. They can be reengineered into molded or machined parts, coatings, fibers, films, foams, and fabrics for use in biomedical products and devices. These may include heart valves, hip joint replacements, dental implants, or contact lenses. They often are biodegradable, and some are bio-absorbable, meaning they are eliminated gradually from the body after fulfilling a function.

In medicine biomaterials have a range of applications (1).

What are biomaterials and their applications?

Biomaterials are widely used in the applications of tissue engineering, such as in scaffolds for regenerative medicine, nanomaterial for bio-sensing, and tailoring of inorganic nanoparticles, as they shape and structure the tissues, providing mechanical stability and strength.

Medical implants, including heart valves, stents, and grafts; artificial joints, ligaments, and tendons; hearing loss implants; dental implants; and devices that stimulate nerves.
Methods to promote healing of human tissues, including sutures, clips, and staples for wound closure, and dissolvable dressings.
Regenerated human tissues, using a combination of biomaterial supports or scaffolds, cells, and bioactive molecules. Examples include a bone regenerating hydrogel and a lab-grown human bladder.
Molecular probes and nanoparticles that break through biological barriers and aid in cancer imaging and therapy at the molecular level.
Biosensors to detect the presence and amount of specific substances and to transmit that data. Examples are blood glucose monitoring devices and brain activity sensors.
Drug-delivery systems that carry and/or apply drugs to a disease target. Examples include drug-coated vascular stents and implantable chemotherapy wafers for cancer patients.

Footnotes:

1. https://www.nibib.nih.gov/science-education/science-topics/biomater....

2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/biomaterials

0 members like this