In Vivo Biomedical Applications of Aerogels
Abstract
This chapter provides an overview of the in vivo biomedical applications of aerogels and the prerequisite studies that were performed prior to conducting in vivo studies and those that were conducted in parallel. The goal of this chapter is to draw the reader’s attention to the potential of aerogels as a biomedical material and recent advances in this endeavor. It is not the intent of the author to suggest that aerogels will replace other biomaterials, but rather that a new material is available to the industry and can be manipulated to fill the void other biomaterials have not been able to deliver. Important fundamental studies such as biocompatibility, sterilization, and cell-substrate interactions have been included and can provide the reader with a succinct summary of advances in this field. The majority of the studies referenced here were conducted on silica-based aerogels but can serve as a platform for further studies and expansion of the field to other types of aerogels. This chapter starts with a brief introduction to the design considerations given to materials intended for biomedical applications. A timeline of aerogel-based in vivo and in vitro studies published since 2011 has also been provided. The following sections provide a detailed account of ultrasound and X-ray imaging methods for in vivo tracking of aerogel implants. Next, methods to sterilize aerogels have been discussed followed by a detailed discussion of biocompatibility and biostability of aerogels both in vivo and in vitro. Finally, the potential of aerogels as a neuronal scaffold has been discussed, and response of such cells to the aerogel has been summarized.
Publication Title
Springer Handbooks
Recommended Citation
Sabri, F. (2023). In Vivo Biomedical Applications of Aerogels. Springer Handbooks, Part F1485, 1471-1488. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-27322-4_58
