Antioxidant Polymers for Tuning Biomaterial Biocompatibility: From Drug Delivery to Tissue Engineering

With the advent of nanotechnology, biomaterials have enjoyed a revolution in application and design. However, based upon the lessons learned from nanotoxicity and a rëëvaluation of the implant-host response, it has become obvious that oxidative stress is a central player in the biocompatibility of biomaterials. Yet, despite this central role, very few biomaterials take advantage of this biological process to tune and control this response. It is proposed here that antioxidant polymers can lead a revolution in novel biomaterials design by controlling this oxidative stress response. In this chapter, we will review the basic biology of biomaterial biocompatibility, its relationship to oxidative stress and current examples of antioxidant polymers designed to suppress this response.