Biomaterials and Molecular Imaging Materials for Biomedical Research

Dear Colleagues,

Biomedical research is a broad area of science that aims to prevent and treat the diseases of human beings. Utilizing biotechnology techniques, biomedical researchers are eager to develop effective treatments and cures. Biomedical research is an evolutionary process requiring careful experimentation by many scientists, including biologists and chemists. Biomedical research saves lives, decreases the death rate, and improves the life quality of many of human patients.

Among other fields in biomedical research, there has been remarkable progress in biomaterial research over the past several decades. Biomaterials are manufactured or processed to be suitable for use as medical devices (or components thereof), interacting with human tissue and body fluids to treat, augment, replace tissue function, or diagnose diseases of the human body, without adverse reactions in the host organism.

The modern field of biomaterials research combines medicine, biology, physics, and chemistry. The field has grown significantly in the past decade because of innovative progression in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and more. Versatile materials, including metals, ceramics, polymers, glass, and even living cells and tissues, can be used in creating biomaterials. Along with a variety of chemical approaches, they can be reengineered into moulded or machined parts, coatings, fibres, films, foams, and fabrics for use in biomedical products and devices. They often are biodegradable, and some are bio-absorbable, meaning that they are eliminated gradually from the body after fulfilling a function.

On the other hand, we have experienced a rapid growth in the field of molecular imaging techniques for application in biomedical research. Many of the systems were originally developed for studying biochemical systems; however, recent molecular imaging research is considered a new scientific area that allows for the study of biomaterials for monitoring functional and anatomical changes in biomedical applications. Various bioimaging materials, including proteins, small molecules, nanomaterials, and polymers for X-ray computed tomography (CT); magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); single photon emission computer tomography (SPECT); positron emission tomography (PET); fluorescence; bioluminescence imaging; and ultrasound imaging have been used for monitoring application of biomaterial for biomedical research.

Because of the rapid progress of their application to biomedical research in the last couple of years, this Special Issue aims to collect relevant research or review articles so as to give an overview of the state of art in the assessment and recent technological breakthrough in biomaterials and molecular imaging materials for application in biomedical research.

Prof. Dr. Moonsuk Kim
Prof. Dr. Eunha Kim
Guest Editors

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