Clinical Application of Biomimetic Marine-Derived Materials for Tissue Engineering

Abstract

The use of advance technology allocated a scientific community with significant development in the field of tissue engineering and medical sciences. Developing a biomaterial to replace the diseased or damaged tissue is a paramount importance for an effective regenerative approach, so that the original structural and functional status is recovered. Due to its rich biodiversity, marine environment yields immense potential and offer various organisms from which promising natural substances can be isolated to mimic the tissue ECM (extracellular matrix) in the body. Findings by various researchers both in vitro and in vivo also support the opinion that the derived structures from aquatic origin have optimistic potential for biomedical application. In this chapter, we shall discuss some of the marine-derived biomaterials which can be employed for various tissue engineering approaches. Marine ecosystem nourished a wide variety of creatures like corals, seashells and sea urchins from which various biopolymers can be extracted. These bio-molecules offer a new dimension for clinical application in dentistry, oral and maxillofacial surgery, wound healing, local drug delivery system, cartilage and bone tissue engineering. As the substances derived from marine origin are organic in nature, they are usually non-toxic, biocompatible, bioactive and well tolerated by the body, which boost their efficacy for tissue engineering application.