Molecular Scissors: From Biomaterials Implant to Tissue Remodeling - Biologically Responsive Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering - page 17

Chapter 2
Molecular Scissors: From Biomaterials Implant
to Tissue Remodeling

Tudor Petreus , Iulian Antoniac , Paul Sirbu , and Carmen Elena Cotrutz

2.1 Introduction

As long as healthcare system improves and directs itself toward tissue substitution
or replacement, all special materials with biomedical applications will become
milestones for clinical and laboratory investigations [ 30, 56, 114 ] . We are now
living in a dynamic world that is not yet prepared for a “ cyborg ” concept but still
dreams about perfect tissue engineering, resulting in organ cloning. Thus, our age
belongs to biomaterials and their interaction with living tissues. Tissue-implant
interactions are well documented in the last decade, especially those regarding
mobile cells in the blood, vascular endothelial cells and cells of various connec-
tives [ 6 ]. All type of implantations, especially for non-resorptive materials (metal-
lic, hard insoluble polymers) [ 99 ] involve tissue trauma, which induces an
inflammatory response, followed by wound healing reaction (angiogenesis,
fibroblast activation) and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling [ 65 ] . At the
same time, any material intended for implantation should not impede cell
development, growth or multiplication, in close vicinity or at certain distance.
Moreover, all high performance implanted materials should limit the extension of
inflammatory reactions and also should promote tissue remodeling toward a
functional status [ 112, 113, 116 ] .

T. Petreus ( * ) ￿ P. Sirbu ￿ C. E. Cotrutz
Cell Biology Department, G.T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy,
Universitatii Street 16 , Iasi 700115 , Romania
e-mail: [e-mail] ; [e-mail] ; [e-mail]
I. Antoniac
University Politehnica of Bucharest , Spl. Independentei 313, Sect.6 , Bucharest , Romania
e-mail: [e-mail]