This article was first published in the March 2016 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
What might we achieve with materials that behave like living things? That's the question driving biomaterials scientists, who investigate ways in which man-made substances might be influenced to imitate nature. The field holds special relevance for areas such as medical research.
Current projects include developing smart materials that can perform sophisticated functions, such as targeted drug delivery, tissue regeneration and self-assembly in the body. "We're trying to create biomaterials that can interact with the surrounding tissues," says Helena Azevedo, senior lecturer in biomedical engineering and biomaterials at Queen Mary University of London.
For example, researchers are engineering drug-carrying nanoparticles to deliver treatments via the bloodstream to precise locations in the body. Achieving this requires manipulation at the molecular scale. "We can decorate these nanoparticles with the specific molecules that are recognised by certain cells," says Azevedo. Those molecules then provide instructive cues that steer the particles towards the tissues where drugs are needed.
This technique has the potential to transform personalised medicine, Azevedo claims. Future treatments could use smart, bio-inspired particles to deliver drugs in predetermined quantities to specific sites, and at particular times, all designed to match a patient's unique medical requirements. "It has been difficult to replicate nature, but we are taking steps and increasing the complexity," says Azevedo. "There are already biomaterials that resemble what we have in our bodies."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
