Clay: New opportunities for tissue regeneration and biomaterial design

Abstract

Seminal recent studies that have shed new light on the remarkable properties of clay interactions suggest unexplored opportunities for biomaterial design and regenerative medicine. Here, recent conceptual and technological developments in the science of clay interactions with biomolecules, polymers, and cells are examined, focusing on the implications for tissue engineering and regenerative strategies. Pioneering studies demonstrating the utility of clay for drug-delivery and scaffold design are reviewed and areas for future research and development highlighted. Harnessing clay interactions for tissue regeneration: clay nanoparticles interact with biomolecules to allow controlled delivery, with polymers to give tough materials, and with cells to mediate adhesion and proliferation. The unexplored opportunities that clay minerals present for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine are highlighted. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.