Dear Colleagues,

Biocompatible materials can play many roles in the regeneration of diseased or injured tissue. They can be designed to restore function while evading an immune response. In regenerative medicine, biomaterials interface with the body’s response to injury by inducing cell signaling and by providing structure to guide tissue growth. Discoveries in biomaterials have advanced the field of regenerative medicine by providing tools to meet the challenges of delayed or incomplete healing, as well as by creating strategies for the treatment of diseased tissue. This special issue will investigate how the current challenges in biomaterial design are being met. Reviews and research articles for this “Biomaterials in Regenerative Medicine” special issue will focus on the use of materials to improve healing and recovery in response to disease, infection, or injury. Biomaterials can be chosen for a specific application and do not need to be universally biocompatible to provide benefit. Reviews will describe the state-of-the-art in this field and can have either an application focus or a novel material focus. Research articles will present experimental results and provide evidence-based discussion on the therapeutic use of biomaterials for specific diseases or injuries based on in vivo or in vitro models. Computational models are appropriate if paired with in vitro or in vivo experiments for validation of the model.

This special issue will cover topics including:

• Active biomaterials that modulate cell signaling
• Removing barriers to normal biological function and tissue regeneration with biomaterials
• Guiding cell proliferation and location with material properties
• Enabling new therapeutic approaches with material design
• Materials that mimic natural processes or molecules to improve tissue function or healing

Dr. Jessica Amber Jennings and Dr. Josh Bush

Guest Editors