Biophysical and Chemical Properties of Collagen: Biomedical Applications provides an introduction to the biophysics and chemistry of collagen and its use as a biomedical material in the rapidly changing fields of biomedical device production, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Written by experts in the field, this text will be of interest for researchers as well as lecturers and students.

Collagen has proved to be a safe and effective biomedical material. Clinicians have used collagen-based devices in a wide range of applications with successful patient outcomes. This book gives an understanding of how present devices work, and could be improved, as well as the development of new devices where a knowledge of collagen structure, chemistry and biology is required. The purification of collagen materials and the fabrication of a range of collagen products and their applications are covered within. Current developments include recombinant collagen materials that provide further application opportunities. Written by experts in the field, this text will be of interest for researchers as well as lecturers and students. Part of Biophysical Society Series.

Not only does this book provide a comprehensive review of current research advances in collagen structure and mechanics, it also explores this biological macromolecule’s many applications in biomaterials and tissue engineering. Readers gain an understanding of the structure and mechanical behavior of type I collagen and collagen-based tissues in vertebrates across all length scales, from the molecular (nano) to the organ (macro) level.

The mechanical properties of cells can be used to distinguish pathological from normal cells and tissues in many diseases. This book will outline the physics behind cell and tissue mechanics, describe the methods which can be used to determine their mechanical properties, and present various diseases in which a mechanical fingerprint could be established. The book is designed to not require a background in either Physics or Life Sciences.

Ionic liquids have emerged as an innovative material for various applications due to their unique physicochemical properties. Collagen matrices have been used as a scaffold in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine due to their excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. The combination of these two materials has attracted much attention in recent years. The studies on ionic liquids effect on collagen matrices have been carried out to investigate the potential applications of these materials. The effects of ionic liquids on collagen matrices have been studied in terms of their chemical modification, physical properties, mechanical properties, rheological properties, swelling behavior, gelation, and crosslinking. The ionic strength of the solution has been shown to play a crucial role in the properties of the collagen matrices. Cytotoxicity studies have been performed to evaluate the biocompatibility of these materials. In vitro and in vivo studies have been carried out to investigate the cell culture, cell proliferation, cell adhesion, cell differentiation, and extracellular matrix formation of the collagen-ionic liquid composite materials. The potential applications of these materials include wound healing, drug delivery, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. Electrospinning has been used to produce electrospun fibers and nanofiber scaffolds of collagen-ionic liquid composites for biomedical applications. The surface modification of these materials has also been studied to improve their properties for various biomedical applications. The studies on ionic liquids effect on collagen matrices have the potential to provide new insights into the development of novel materials for various biomedical applications. The chemical synthesis, analytical methods, and characterization of these materials are crucial to understanding the molecular interactions and interfacial phenomena that occur in these systems. The interdisciplinary field of polymer science, polymer chemistry, biophysics, and biomechanics is essential in advancing the development of collagen-ionic liquid composites for various biomedical applications.

This book gives an introduction to the highly interdisciplinary field of biomaterials. It concisely summarizes properties, synthesis and modification of materials such as metals, ceramics, polymers or composites. Characterization, in vitro and in vivo testing as well as a selection of various applications are also part of this inevitable guide.

These contribution books collect reviews and original articles from eminent experts working in the interdisciplinary arena of biomaterial development and use. From their direct and recent experience, the readers can achieve a wide vision on the new and ongoing potentialities of different synthetic and engineered biomaterials. Contributions were selected not based on a direct market or clinical interest, but based on results coming from very fundamental studies. This too will allow to gain a more general view of what and how the various biomaterials can do and work for, along with the methodologies necessary to design, develop and characterize them, without the restrictions necessarily imposed by industrial or profit concerns. The chapters have been arranged to give readers an organized view of this research area. In particular, this book contains 25 chapters related to recent researches on new and known materials, with a particular attention to their physical, mechanical and chemical characterization, along with biocompatibility and hystopathological studies. Readers will be guided inside the range of disciplines and design methodologies used to develope biomaterials possessing the physical and biological properties needed for specific medical and clinical applications.