Novel biomaterial strategies for controlled growth factor delivery for biomedical applications

Nanomaterials can speed up the rate at which wounds heal and tissue regenerates. Songlin Peng from the Jinan University Second College of Medicine, China, and colleagues review the development of artificial materials that achieve this aim by mimicking the hierarchical architecture of the extracellular matrix. Cells can proliferate and migrate by secreting proteins that signal to adjacent cells. These proteins – known as growth factors – bind to specific receptors on the target cell. But it is difficult to harness this simple concept in clinical applications such as wound healing because the instability of growth factors limits their safety and cost effectiveness. Peng and co-workers review recent progress in the use of functionalized microporous scaffolds functionalized with growth factor encapsulated nanoparticles. They also outline its advantages over alternative approaches employing polymers, lipids and mesoporous silica-based nanoparticles.