Updates in immunocompatibility of biomaterials: applications for regenerative medicine

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Biomaterials, either metallic, ceramic, or polymeric, can be used in medicine as a part of the implants, dialysis membranes, bone scaffolds, or components of artificial organs. Polymeric biomaterials cover a vast range of biomedical applications. The biocompatibility and immunocompatibility of polymeric materials are of fundamental importance for their possible therapeutic uses, as the immune system can intervene in the materials’ performance. Therefore, based on application, different routes can be utilized for immunoregulation.

Areas covered

As different biomaterials can be modulated by different strategies, this study aims to summarize and evaluate the available methods for the immunocompatibility enhancement of more common polymeric biomaterials based on their nature. Different strategies such as surface modification, physical characterization, and drug incorporation are investigated for the immunomodulation of nanoparticles, hydrogels, sponges, and nanofibers.

Expert opinion

Recently, strategies for triggering appropriate immune responses by functional biomaterials have been highlighted. As most strategies correspond to the physical and surface properties of biomaterials, specific modulation can be conducted for each biomaterial system. Besides, different applications require different modulations of the immune system. In the future, the selection of novel materials and immune regulators can play a role in tuning the immune system for regenerative medicine.

KEYWORDS:

• Biomaterial
• immune system
• immunocompatibility
• tissue engineering
• regenerative medicine

Article highlights

• The immunocompatibility of biomaterials is one of the most important aspects of the success of implantation.

• The materials of use, type of biomaterial, surface and physical properties, and the incorporation of immunomodulatory substances are the main approaches to creating immunomodulatory

• As chemical and physical properties of biomaterials can be tuned to directly adjust the immune response against them, considering the type of biomaterials, these methods should specifically be assessed.

• Nanoparticles, hydrogels, sponges, and nanofibers are the main biomaterials that different methods were used for their immunomodulation.

• The immunomodulation also should be associated with the applications as some require the moderation of the immune response, and some its inducing.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties. This article had no funding.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.