Future Trends in Biomaterials and Devices for Cells and Tissues

Research strategies are focusing on new bioinspired approaches for the design of biomaterials and devices to be used for repairing and/or regenerating tissues and organs as well as for creating in vitro physiologically relevant models. More importantly, biomaterials can be designed to exhibit ECM micro- to nanoscale of chemistry and topography providing physical, chemical, and mechanical signals to the cells that generate the appropriate responses for the formation of a new organ or tissue. It is a proof of concept that the intrinsic characteristic of the biomaterials (e.g., topography, elastic modulus, chemistry, morphology) strongly influences and modulates the expansion and differentiation of cells in a 3D microenvironment. The complexity of the natural cellular environment can be recapitulated using devices such as bioreactors and microfluidic platforms overcoming limitations of the traditional culture systems and allowing a continuous perfusion of cells with nutrients and metabolites and the removal of catabolites and specific products. This system mimicking the venous and arterious network holds the homeostasis of the cellular environment, in combination with highly sensitive biosensors, which permit detecting and controlling the biological analytes. This Special Issue aims to enphasize current advances in bioinspired/biomimetic materials and devices providing insights into how they can be translated into cutting-edge biomedical applications. Smart multifunctional and intelligent biomaterials with instructive, inductive, and triggering properties able to activate tissue regeneration can be fabricated using natural and synthetic polymers and inorganic and/or composites with an array of processing methods and technologies. This article collection offers an exploration of the latest trends in the development of different interfaces and devices for tissue/organ repair and regeneration. Innovative investigations on new biomimetic tissues and organs for drug testing/delivery and disease modeling will also be included. This Special Issue will include original articles as well as reviews on these topics.