V. Tamara Perchyonok
RMIT University
Australia
Title: Biomaterials for functional applications in the oral cavity via contemporary multidimensional science
Biography
Biography: V. Tamara Perchyonok
Abstract
Recently the role of free radicals in health has attracted tremendous interest in the field of medicine, dentistry and molecular biology. There currently exists a wide range of degradable polymers that hold potential as biomaterials. With the advancement in polymer synthesis techniques, the paradigm of utilizing a few well-characterized polymers (e.g. PLGA and collagen) for all biomedical applications has shifted to using polymers, both heavily researched and newly developed, that can fit certain niches (such as DNA and RNA association with phosphoesters and inherent bioactivity of chitosan). In addition the emergence of combination polymers holds promise for the creation of novel material that possesses desired properties for highly specific applications. Hydrogels may be prepared from either natural or synthetic polymers. Generally, natural polymer-based ones present weak mechanical properties, a shortcoming that may be corrected, on the one hand, by their biocompatibility and biodegradability, and on the other, by the fact that they allow the sequence of cellular activity. This chapter summarizes the important and crucial interaction between oral drug delivery and chitosan-based systems, which are easy to assemble, with multi-component design and flexible as well as easy to analyze and modify. The presentation will focus on the advantages of designer biomaterial for functional application in the oral cavity.