Current development of biodegradable polymeric materials for biomedical applications

Richard Song,1 Maxwell Murphy,1 Chenshuang Li,1 Kang Ting,1–3 Chia Soo,2 Zhong Zheng1 1Division of Growth and Development, Section of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; 2UCLA Department of Surgery and Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and The Orthopaedic Hospital Research Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; 3UCLA Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA Abstract: In the last half-century, the development of biodegradable polymeric materials for biomedical applications has advanced significantly. Biodegradable polymeric materials are favored in the development of therapeutic devices, including temporary implants and three-dimensional scaffolds for tissue engineering. Further advancements have occurred in the utilization of biodegradable polymeric materials for pharmacological applications such as delivery vehicles for controlled/sustained drug release. These applications require particular physicochemical, biological, and degradation properties of the materials to deliver effective therapy. As a result, a wide range of natural or synthetic polymers able to undergo hydrolytic or enzymatic degradation is being studied for biomedical applications. This review outlines the current development of biodegradable natural and synthetic polymeric materials for various biomedical applications, including tissue engineering, temporary implants, wound healing, and drug delivery. Keywords: tissue engineering, drug delivery, wound healing, natural biomaterials, synthetic biomaterial