A new article published in the International Journal of Nanomedicine described aerogel-based biomaterials, as highly porous materials that are made from different sources of macromolecules, inorganic materials and composites. These mimic the structures of the biological extracellular matrix (ECM)—a three-dimensional network of natural macromolecules – for example, collagen and glycoproteins, and provide structural support and exert biochemical effects to the surrounding cells in tissues.

The authors stated that recently, the higher requirements of biomaterials have significantly promoted the design and development of aerogel-based biomaterials with high biocompatibility and biological activity. These biomaterials with multilevel hierarchical structures display excellent biological functions by promoting cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation, which are critical for biomedical applications.

This article highlighted the recent progress in the preparation of aerogel-based biomaterials and their biomedical applications in wound healing, bone regeneration and drug delivery, as well as different strategies for modulating the biological performance of aerogel-based biomaterials and the current status of these materials in biomedical research.

Source: International Journal of Nanomedicine. 2020 Apr 3;15:2363-2378. doi: 10.2147/IJN.S238005.