Nature-Based Biomaterials and Their Application in Biomedicine

• Published in: Polymers Vol. 13; no. 19; p. 3321
• Main Authors: Troy, Eoin, Tilbury, Maura A, Power, Anne Marie, Wall, J Gerard
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 28.09.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Binding sites; Biocompatibility; biomaterial; Biomedical materials; Cartilage; Collagen; drug delivery; Enzymes; gelatine; Gene expression; Genetic engineering; Glycoproteins; Good Manufacturing Practice; Growth factors; Laboratories; Ligaments; Mechanical properties; Medical electronics; Natural polymers; Polysaccharides; Proteins; Review; scaffold; Structural stability; Surgical implants; Synthetic products; Tissue engineering; Wound healing; alginate; silk; chitosan; tissue engineering; biomaterial; cellulose; scaffold; collagen; gelatine; drug delivery
• ISSN: 2073-4360; 2073-4360
• DOI: 10.3390/polym13193321

Natural polymers, based on proteins or polysaccharides, have attracted increasing interest in recent years due to their broad potential uses in biomedicine. The chemical stability, structural versatility, biocompatibility and high availability of these materials lend them to diverse applications in areas such as tissue engineering, drug delivery and wound healing. Biomaterials purified from animal or plant sources have also been engineered to improve their structural properties or promote interactions with surrounding cells and tissues for improved in vivo performance, leading to novel applications as implantable devices, in controlled drug release and as surface coatings. This review describes biomaterials derived from and inspired by natural proteins and polysaccharides and highlights their promise across diverse biomedical fields. We outline current therapeutic applications of these nature-based materials and consider expected future developments in identifying and utilising innovative biomaterials in new biomedical applications.