Innovative Bioceramics in Translational Medicine I

Book excerpt: This book is part of a two-part volume book that highlights the latest advances in innovative bioceramics applied in the highly interdisciplinary area referred to as “translational medicine”. This volume covers the basic principles and techniques used in the manufacture of bioceramics and biocomposites for various biomedical applications including drug delivery, implantable bionics and the development of the cardiac pacemaker, and bone tissue engineering. Furthermore, self-healing materials have been attracting increasing interest in both engineering and medical applications during the past two decades. Self-healing hydrogels are particularly interesting because of their ability to repair structural damages and recover their original functions, specifically in tissue engineering.