Regenerative medicine is looking for structures to support the self-healing capacities of the human body. The implant scaffolds need to induce cell proliferation and promote reformation of the tissue. To create high-performance implants, adjustable degradation rates of the biomaterials, interconnected pores and functional surfaces are important. Due to their unique characteristics, chitosans are perfectly suitable to fulfill those requirements of regenerative medizin, due to their unique characteristics. In the following, we want to present you two highly interesting studies from research in this field.

The development of a strong bond between implant surface and the surrounding bone substance, called osseointegration is important for successful integration of a dental implant. The coating of dental implants with chitosan is a promising approach to enable an accelerated and improved integration. In the following, we present two publications about chitosan-based coatings for dental implants.

Functional coatings are applied to improve resistance of implants like artificial heart valves or coronary stents against various impacts in the human body. One problem is the formation of biofilms on the implant surface, which limits communication of the implant with the surrounding area and might induce inflammatory reactions. In addition, nature of the implant material can promote the formation of blood clots, which leads to blocked arteries.

In April 2017, 252 articles about chitosan and chitosan derivatives were published. The International Journal of Biological Macromolecules published the highest number of chitosan-related articles (23), followed by Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces (7) and Carbohydrate Polymers (6). Researchers from China (48 articles) are as usually on the top of the list of leading countries in chitosan research. Germany can also be found among the top 10, with 5 publications in April 2017.