Biomaterials poised for major advances

Abstract

Suppose one asked average television viewer what pops into mind when he or she hears the word biomaterials—substances used to replace, augment, or treat parts of the body? The Bionic Man, The $6 Million Man, or The Bionic Woman would be the response, more likely than not. How could a viewer not be intrigued and impressed by the concept of superhuman capacities created by replacement of body parts with synthetic ones—at a cost of $6 million for the bionic man? Science fiction is far ahead of science in this case, as in so many others. But even without such heroics, progress in biomaterials has been dramatic in recent years. Indeed, says Pierre M. Galletti, vice president and professor of biology and medicine at Brown University, biomaterials underlie what I consider the major revolution in therapeutics and in medicine in the second half of the 20th century. Biomaterials are already being used on an extremely ...