Cell and Tissue–Biomaterial Interactions

This course is concerned with the reaction and interaction of both inert and bioactive foreign materials placed in the living human body. Topics to be discussed include atomic structure and bulk properties of the major classes of implantable materials; biocompatibility; characterization of non-living biomaterials; reaction of biological molecules with biomaterial surfaces; host response to implants; hemocompatibility; effects of degradation on implant materials; bioactive surfaces; resorbable implant materials; standardization, sterilization and regulation of implant materials; in vitro and in vivo biomaterial testing methods; and introduction to tissue engineering. Case studies and presentations of current literature focusing on novel materials and new clinical applications will also be included to identify future directions in biomaterials research.