Abstract
Biomaterials science is one of the most rapidly evolving fields in biomedicine. However, although novel biomaterials have achieved well-defined goals, such as the production of devices with improved biocompatibility and mechanical properties, their development could be more ambitious. Indeed, the integration of active targeting strategies has been shown to allow spatiotemporal control of cell–material interactions, thus leading to more specific and better-performing devices. This manuscript reviews recent advances that have led to enhanced biomaterials resulting from the use of natural structural macromolecules. In this regard, several structural macromolecules have been adapted or modified using biohybrid approaches for use in both regenerative medicine and therapeutic delivery. The integration of structural and functional features and aptamer targeting, although still incipient, has already shown its ability and wide-reaching potential. In this review, we discuss aptamer-functionalized hybrid protein-based or polymeric biomaterials derived from structural macromolecules, with a focus on bioresponsive/bioactive systems.
Highlights
Biomaterials can be defined as materials that are especially suitable for intimate contact with living tissue which are selected for the development of medical devices for tissue engineering, drug delivery, and diagnostic purposes
The Wang group developed a macroporous gelatin–poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogel with the ability to retain bioactive molecules and cells [24]. These hydrogels were prepared by free radical polymerization of PEG, gelatin–methacryloyl, and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) aptamers coupled with gas formation [81]
These innovative in vivo therapies were further developed by the same group in a more recent work [31] in which the authors described a double-lock device comprising the polyplex elastin-like recombinamers (ELRs)–PEG–5TR1 loaded with therapeutic DNA, with which an increase in the potential harm with no damage to non-tumor cells could be achieved both in vitro and in vivo
Summary
Biomaterials can be defined as materials that are especially suitable for intimate contact with living tissue which are selected for the development of medical devices for tissue engineering, drug delivery, and diagnostic purposes. The recombinant production of such materials, which include collagen, elastin, silk, gelatin, fibrinogen, and hyaluronic acid, amongst others, presents significant benefits in comparison with proteins extracted from animal tissue, especially their homogeneous composition, the absence of animal infectious agents, or their lower immunogenic potential [11,12] The biodegradability of these materials allows their temporary use, when necessary, or their gradual replacement with newly formed tissue during regeneration [13]. The latest generation of materials for biomedical applications currently being studied includes precision biomaterials that are able to meet the needs of personalized medicine and to interact with the patient’s body Such systems require further advances in biomarker and biomaterials research in order to determine the correct target and elicit the necessary effect.
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