Marine-Derived Medical Devices and Therapeutic Delivery Systems

Abstract

Marine-derived products exhibit applicability in the field of biomaterials and medical devices due to their unique physical, chemical, and biological properties including mechanical reinforcement, underwater adhesion, swelling capacity, and biocompatibility. They can support crucial cellular proliferation, migration, and differentiation, being suitable for tissue engineering and wound healing. This review discusses biomaterials and medical devices derived from marine sources by analyzing their natural properties and highlighting advantages of scaffolds, adhesives, and drug delivery systems. We review organisms from the animal phyla Porifera (sponges), Cnidaria (jellyfish, corals), Mollusca (molluscs, octopus), Chordata (fish, sea squirt), algae phylum Chlorophyta (green microalgae), and prokaryotic phylum Cyanobacteria (cyanobacteria). We discuss the need of applying suitable controls and establishing a sustainable scale-up process to assess their promising results and make them available for patients. We also highlight the advantage of implementing biotechnology and waste by-products in their crafting as an opportunity for incorporating biomedicine in a circular economy.