Introducing biomaterials for tissue repair and regeneration

Recent advances in nanotechnology are allowing for the growing diffusion of innovative devices with nanostructured organization and improved physicochemical properties in comparison with microstructured ones fabricated by conventional technologies. This is becoming a relevant issue particularly in the biomedical field (i.e., tissue engineering, tissue repair, nanomedicine) where a relevant challenge mainly concerns the development of tailored systems to optimally interface natural tissues from biological/biomechanical/biochemical point of view. The present work is organized into two main sections aimed at highlighting the pivotal role of nanoscale in the definition of biomaterial features. After an introduction to biomaterial science, a punctual classification of biomaterials currently used for traditional and advanced applications will be reported. Lastly, a more technical section, concerning the design and fabrication of devices with sub-micro and nanoscale features, will offer an extended overview of the increasing benefits on the use of nanostructured materials in the field of tissue engineering, repair, and nanomedicine.