Biomaterials and related materials
  Evolving terminology for emerging technologies
Comments? Questions? Revisions? mchitty@healthtech.com
Last revised November 03, 2001
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Related glossaries include Cell biology, Miniaturization.

biocompatible materials:  Synthetic or natural materials, other than drugs, that are used to replace or repair any body tissue or bodily function. [MeSH] Related term biomaterials

bioengineering: Is rooted in physics, mathematics, chemistry, biology, and the life sciences. It is the application of a systematic, quantitative, and integrative way of thinking about and approaching the solutions of problems important to biology, medical research, clinical proactive, and population studies. The NIH Bioengineering Consortium agreed on the following definition for bioengineering research on biology, medicine, behavior, or health recognizing that no definition could completely eliminate overlap with other research disciplines or preclude variations in interpretation by different individuals and organizations.

Integrates physical, chemical, or mathematical sciences and engineering principles for the study of biology, medicine, behavior, or health. It advances fundamental concepts, creates knowledge for the molecular to the organ systems levels, and develops innovative biologics, materials, processes, implants, devices, and informatics approaches for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, for patient rehabilitation, and for improving health. [NIH, Office of External Research, Bioengineering Definition Committee, July 24, 1997]  http://grants.nih.gov/grants/becon/bioengineering_definition.htm

biomaterials: Synthetic or natural materials that can replace or augment tissues, organs or body functions. Related term: biocompatible materials, biopolymers

biomechanics: Mechanical structures of  living organisms (especially muscles and bones).

biomimetic: Biomimetic refers to human-made processes, substances, devices, or systems that imitate nature. The art and science of designing and building biomimetic apparatus is called biomimetics, and is of special interest to researchers in nanotechnology, robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), the medical industry, and the military. Some biomimetic processes have been in use for years. An example is the artificial synthesis of certain vitamins and antibiotics. More recently, biomimetics have been suggested as applicable in the design of machine vision systems, machine hearing systems, signal amplifiers, navigational systems, and data converters. The neural network (which has suffered through on-again, off-again status in the opinions of prominent researchers) is a hypothetical biomimetic computer that works by making associations and educated guesses, and that can learn from its own mistakes. Other possible applications of biomimetics include nanorobot antibodies that seek and destroy disease- causing bacteria, artificial organs, artificial arms, legs, hands, and feet, and various electronic devices. One of the more intriguing ideas is the so- called biochip, a microprocessor that grows from a starter crystal in much the same way that a seed grows into a tree, or a fertilized egg grows into an embryo. [whatis.com] 

Related terms biopolymers; Drug discovery & development molecular mimicry, peptidomimetic, Gene amplification & PCR PCR, PNA; glycomimetic, molecular imprinting

biomolecular materials: An emerging discipline, materials whose properties are abstracted from biology. They share many of the characteristics of biological materials but are not necessarily of biological origin. For example, they may be inorganic materials that are organized or processed in a biomimetic fashion. A key feature of biological and biomolecular materials is their ability to undergo self- assembly. [Biomolecular self-assembling materials, National Academy of Sciences 1996]  http://www.nas.edu/bpa/reports/bmm/bmm.html#PBMM

biomotors: Driven by energy sources such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP) for chemical transduction and other processes. These biomotors are considered to be biomolecular and are discussed in the body of this report, but strictly speaking they do not conform to the panel's definition of self- assembly. [Biomolecular self- assembling materials, National Academy of Sciences 1996]  http://www.nas.edu/bpa/reports/bmm/bmm.html#PBMM 

biopolymers: Broader term polymers

blood & blood substitutes: Human blood, plasma and tissue contain many proteins, the extraction and purification of which are of great medical and economic importance. Transmission of infectious diseases via blood transfusion, tissue implantation and the use of processed blood plasma and components have placed a high priority on the development of new strategies for safeguarding the health of millions of patients who receive blood and tissue- derived products every year. The screening of blood for the detection of infectious agents is continuing to advance but is complicated by the presence new and emerging pathogens. In addition, cost- effectiveness and the threat of emerging and/ or crossover infective agents must also be considered. Blood Product Safety Feb. 4-6, 2002 Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Feb. 6-7, 2002 Washington, DC

bovine spongiform encephalopathy BSE: See under blood & blood substitute

combinatorial biology: Involves genetic manipulation of bacteria and fungi that produce complex natural products. This technology includes construction of large libraries of recombinant microbes capable of generating novel organic molecules and engineering secondary metabolite biosynthetic pathways to modify valuable biologically active microbial metabolites. [ASB [Am Soc. Biomechanics] Newsletter, June 1998]   http://asb-biomech.org/newsletter/V11N1/guest.html

fibrin: A protein derived from FIBRINOGEN in the presence of THROMBIN, which forms part of the blood clot. [MeSH]

fibrin adhesive: See fibrin sealant, fibrin tissue adhesive.

fibrin glue: See fibrin sealant,, fibrin tissue adhesive.

fibrin sealant : A biologic product consisting of the final components of the clotting cascade, that can be applied locally to help stop bleeding. Fibrin sealant is usually applied in two components, one containing thrombin and one containing fibrinogen, that are applied simultaneously to form a clot. [Aventis Behring Canada Glossary]  http://www.aventisbehring.com/canada/Med/ReferenceRoom/Glossary/English/defmed_gls1.asp

fibrin tissue adhesive: An autologous or commercial tissue adhesive containing fibrinogen and thrombin. The commercial product is a two component system from human plasma that contains more than fibrinogen and thrombin. The first component  contains highly concentrated fibrinogen, Factor VIII, fibronectin, and traces of other plasma proteins. The second component contains thrombin, calcium chloride, and antifibrinolytic agents such as aprotinin. Mixing of the two components promotes clotting and the formation and cross- linking of fibrin. The tissue adhesive is used for tissue sealing, hemostasis, and wound healing. [MeSH]

fibrinogen: Plasma glycoprotein clotted by thrombin, composed of a dimer of three non- identical pairs of polypeptide chains (alpha, beta, gamma) held together by disulfide bonds. Fibrinogen clotting is a sol- gel change involving complex molecular arrangements: whereas fibrinogen is cleaved by thrombin to form polypeptides A and B, the proteolytic action of other enzymes yields different fibrinogen degradation products. [Mesh]

A plasma protein that, when activated by thrombin, becomes fibrin, the principle component of a blood clot.   [Aventis Behring Canada Glossary] http://www.aventisbehring.com/canada/Med/ReferenceRoom/Glossary/English/defmed_gls1.asp

genetic engineering: Directed modification of the gene complement of a living organism by such techniques as altering the DNA, substituting genetic material by means of a virus, transplanting whole nuclei, transplanting cell hybrids, etc. [MeSH] Related term recombinant DNA technology. [IUPAC Compendium]

MatML Materials Markup Language: Materials property data distributed on the World Wide Web in documents using hypertext markup language ["What is MatML? National Institute of Standards and Technology] http://www.ceramics.nist.gov/matml/matml.htm

materials science: Science of  ceramics, glass, metals, plastics, semiconductors.

molecular motors: Miniaturization glossary

molecular self-assembly: Molecular self- assembly in biological structures is highly specific and fundamental to the correct functioning of an organism. The ability of this process to achieve the fine geometric control of biological and biomimetisc systems, when understood and harnessed, will have wide application.... Fabrication techniques originating in solid- state electronics can be combined with covalent and self- assembly molecular chemistry to produce biocompatible, biofunctional structures with controlled geometry and function. ... There will come a point at which it no longer makes sense to try to prepare the tiny components by paring down [top- down] lumps of bulk matter. It will be more efficient to build components from the bottom up, from assemblies of individual molecules.

Within the last decade, an entirely new kind of synthetic organic chemistry has been developed based on the use of molecular self- assembly. Lithographic techniques (i.e., ways of reproducing structures from a master, as in printing or etching) have been adapted from semiconductor and solid state electronics methodology in order to prepare assemblies on surfaces with nanometer- scale features. A combination of chemical self- assembly with this new lithographic technology has made it possible to produce biocompatible surface structures on a nanoscale (i.e., close to the size of natural biological systems). The functioning of natural systems depends on very elegant control of the relative geometries of the different components. Standard examples include: the neurotransmitter/synaptic junction in nerve conduction; the photosynthetic reaction center for conversion of light energy to electrical energy; Rhodopsin and its assembly into rod cells to permit vision based on straightforward organic sterochemical change; ion channels for feeding cells, cell function induction, and nerve conduction; and finally, hemoglobin and its reversible binding of oxygen and carbon monoxide. The biomimetic properties of molecular self-assembly make this technology one of the newest and most powerful preparative techniques of chemistry, and one with wide future applications in health- related fields as well as other areas. [Dept. of Chemistry, Northwestern Univ. US "Nanofabrication and Molecular Self- Assembly" NanoWeb]  http://www.chem.northwestern.edu/NanoWeb/intro.html

molecularly imprinted polymers MIPs: A new class of materials that have artificially created receptor structures. Since their discovery in 1972, MIPs have attracted considerable interest from scientists and 3engineers involved with the development of chromatographic absorbents, membranes, sensors and enzyme and receptor mimics. [S. Piletsky et. al. "Molecular imprinting: at the edge of the third millennium" Trends in Biotechnology 19 (1): 9- 12, Jan. 2001]

polymers: Biomolecules glossary

recombinant DNA technology: A body of techniques for cutting apart and splicing together different pieces of DNA. When segments of foreign DNA are transferred into another cell or organism, the substance for which they code may be produced along with substances coded for by the native genetic material of the cell or organism. Thus, these cells become "factories" for the production of the protein coded for by the inserted DNA.  [NIGMS]

Related terms biotechnology, gene manipulation, genetic engineering; Cell biology clones, homologous recombination, vectors

robotics: Drug discovery & development glossary

self-assembling biomolecular materials: Examples of self-assembly include protein folding, the formation of liposomes, and the alignment of liquid crystals. While this type of equilibrium self- assembly is the central focus of this report, it is important to emphasize that much biological assembly is also driven by energy sources such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which power biomotors  [Biomolecular self- assembling materials, National Academy of Sciences 1996]  http://www.nas.edu/bpa/reports/bmm/bmm.html#PBMM Broader term self-assembly.

self-assembly: <biology>  A process in which supramolecular hierarchical organization is established without external intervention.... The approaches used can be expected to fall into two general categories. The first involves directly mimicking biological systems or processes to produce materials with enhanced properties. An example of this approach is the use of molecular genetic techniques to produce polymers with unprecedentedly uniform molecular length. The second category involves studying how nature accomplishes a task or creates a structure with unusual properties, and then applying similar techniques in a completely different context or using completely different materials. [Biomolecular self-assembling materials, National Academy of Sciences 1996]  http://www.nas.edu/bpa/reports/bmm/bmm.html#PBMM Narrower term self- assembling biomolecular materials.

stem cells: Cell biology glossary

thrombin : The enzyme that converts fibrinogen to fibrin to form a blood clot. Thrombin circulates in the inactive form, prothrombin. [Aventis Behring Canada Glossary]  http://www.aventisbehring.com/canada/Med/ReferenceRoom/Glossary/English/stumed_gls6.asp  

tissue engineering: The term "tissue engineering" was coined at an NSF [National Science Foundation] -sponsored meeting in 1987. At a later NSF- sponsored workshop, tissue engineering was defined as "...the application of principles and methods of engineering and life sciences toward fundamental understanding ...and development of biological substitutes to restore, maintain and improve [human] tissue functions." This definition is intended to include procedures where the biological substitutes are cells or combinations of different cells that may be implanted on a scaffold such as natural collagen or as synthetic, biocompatible polymers to form a tissue. ["Tissue Engineering" National Science Foundation] http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/nsf50/nsfoutreach/htm/n50_z2/pages_z3/45_pg.htm

Related term Cell biology cell patterning

tissue sealants: Includes a variety of materials including fibrin sealants, collagen and thrombin, cyanoacrylates, polyethylene glycol polymers, and cross- linked albumin Surgical Applications of Tissue Sealants & Adhesives Oct. 6-7, 2001, New Orleans, LA 

Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies TSE: See under blood & blood substitutes

xenografts:

Bibliography

[Pittsburgh] Tissue Engineering Initiative, Glossary, 2000, 73 terms    http://www.ptei.org/about_te/glossary.html

Alpha glossary index

IUPAC definitions are reprinted with the permission of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.