Bioinspired Biomaterials

Book excerpt: This book is the first of two volumes that together offer a comprehensive account of cutting-edge advances in the development of biomaterials for use within tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Topics addressed in this volume, which is devoted to bioinspired biomaterials, range from novel biomaterials for regenerative medicine through to emerging enabling technologies with applications in, for example, drug delivery, maternal–fetal medicine, peripheral nerve repair and regeneration, and brain tumor therapy. New bioinspired hydrogels receive detailed attention in the book, and a further focus is the use of bioinspired biomaterials in the regulation of stem cell fate. Here the coverage includes the role of scaffolds in cartilage regeneration, the bioapplication of inorganic nanomaterials in tissue engineering, and guidance of cell migration to improve tissue regeneration. The authors are recognized experts in the interdisciplinary field of regenerative medicine and the book will be of value for all with an interest in regenerative medicine based on biomaterials.