Invited Talk: Biodegradable Nanomaterials for Future Medical Implants

In today’s medical world, biomaterials are widely used in medical implants from coronary stents to orthopedic devices. Current medical implants and devices are mostly made of titanium alloys or stainless steel – permanent materials that often require secondary surgeries for removal. This presentation will highlight recent advances in development of biodegradable implant materials and nanostructured interfaces for medical applications. Biodegradable materials as scaffolds are advantageous for regenerative medicine applications because they can be rationally designed to promote cellular functions when needed and naturally degrade with tissue healing. Results showed that biodegradable nanocomposites significantly prolonged the release of a functional peptide and enhanced human mesenchymal stem cell functions.