Biopolymers in Drug Delivery and Regenerative Medicine

Biopolymers including natural (e.g. polysaccharides proteins gums natural rubbers bacterial polymers) synthetic (e.g. aliphatic polyesters and polyphosphoester) and biocomposites are of paramount interest in regenerative medicine due to their availability processability and low toxicity. Moreover the structuration of biopolymer-based materials at the nano- and microscale along with their chemical properties are crucial in the engineering of advanced carriers for drug products. Finally combination products including or based on biopolymers for controlled drug release offer a powerful solution to improve the tissue integration and biological response of these materials. Understanding the drug delivery mechanisms efficiency and toxicity of such systems may be useful for regenerative medicine and pharmaceutical technology.