Nanomaterials for regenerative medicine

Abstract

The application of nanotechnology has opened a new realm of advancement in the field of regenerative medicine and has provided hope for the culmination of long-felt needs by the development of an ideal means to control the biochemical and mechanical microenvironment for successful cell delivery and tissue regeneration. Both top-down and bottom-up approaches have been widely used in the advancement of this field, be it by improvement in scaffolds for cell growth, development of new and efficient delivery devices, cellular modification and tracking applications or by development of nanodevices such as biosensors. The current review elaborates the various nanomaterials used in regenerative medicine with a special focus on the development of this field during the last 5 years and the recent advances in their aforementioned applications. Furthermore, the key issues and challenges in using nanotechnology-based approaches are highlighted with an outlook on the likely future of nano-assisted regenerative medicine.