Biofunctional Polymers for Medical Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Modern approaches from macromolecular chemistry towards medical applications such as drug delivery and tissue engineering raise high demands on design and functionality of the polymers. Controlled interaction with proteins and cells, for example by biochemical functionalization or by precise control over structure and morphology, is the premise for successful tailoring of materials for medical applications. Especially the interface between material and biology is important, and polymers are widely used for biointerface engineering. In applications such as drug delivery and tissue engineering, adapted biodegradability of the delivery vehicles and polymer scaffolds are crucial. Ultimatively, polymers that enable the combination of biofunctionality and biomimetic structure bear the promise for successful new approaches in medicine.
This special issue focuses on present approaches of polymer chemistry towards medical applications, especially addressing the mentioned challenges such as embedding of biological function, control over protein adsorption and cell adhesion, tailored biodegradability, targeted drug delivery and tissue engineering.

Prof. Dr. Doris Klee
Dr. Jürgen Groll
Guest Editors