Interfaces in Composite Materials - Biointerfaces: Where Material Meets Biology - page 173

biomaterials and neural interfaces as an example represent the forefront of
neural engineering for improving impaired neuromuscular systems. For
instance ultra-small brain-controlled prosthetic devices/chips/electrodes
with single- or multiple-neuron recording capabilities can be employed to
control the brain activity in depressed or epileptic patients. This chapter
provided an update on recent advances in the developments of smart multi-
functional composites with the focus on four main areas: biomimetic
matrices, on-demand responsive hydrogels, smart fillers, and functionalized
composites.
From a clinical and regulatory perspective, the use of smart composites
poses the intriguing challenge of coaching in situ tissue regeneration. 221
Designing and engineering biomaterials capable of controlling biological
processes such as cell fate and tissue formation without losing their syn-
thetic characteristics is another challenge that requires tremendous effort in
the near future. 221 Despite the substantial advances in biomedical materials
used today, the body still often recognizes them as foreign entities. The
magnitude of this response varies from one material to another. This is a
further challenge that requires more investigation. Controlling the degrad-
ation of composites to enable full tissue repair is another challenge.

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