Natural-Based Polymers for Biomedical Applications

Polymers and polymeric-based systems play a key role in most devices used in distinct biomedical applications. Among them, polymers of natur the extracellular matrix and other polymers found in the human body. Such systems are also chemically versatile, may be modified by well established chemical methods and usually exhibit a rather good biological performance. This book describes both the most widely studied, as well as some of the most promising naturally-derived polymers that have been more recently suggested for use as implantable biomaterials, as controlled release carriers or scaffolds for tissue engineering. The organization of the different sections aims to provide the reader with a comprehensive overview of the most important topics covering the use of natural-based polymers in the biomedical area. The book is aimed to be used by a wide variety of readers working in industry and academia, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students.