Natural and Biomimetic Architectures for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

Dear Colleagues,

Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine are relatively new research fields with remarkably promising results in enhancing the health status of human beings in the future.

As developing a functional biomaterial is among the main pillars of successful engineering/regeneration of human tissues, scientists are urged to find ways to control the interactions between biological systems (e.g., cells) and biomaterials. Over millions of years, a wide variety of biological materials have evolved in nature, possessing optimized distinct functions, ranging from the extracellular matrix (ECM) for structural and biochemical support of cells to the lotus leaf with special wettability for self-cleaning properties. The hierarchical structures of gecko’s foot skin yield reversible adhesion to the surfaces and nanopatterns covering the cicada’s wing make it bactericidal.

Identifying the properties of such naturally occurring systems and understanding the underlying mechanisms by which they regulate organisms’ response is of high importance for the development of synthetic analogues. Accordingly, this Special Issue aims to cover the latest advancements in the design, biofabrication, and application of natural and/or nature-inspired architectures in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine in the form of letters, reviews, and original research articles. Potential topics include but are not limited to:

• Natural/nature-inspired self-cleaning or antifouling surfaces;
• Naturally occurring bactericidal surfaces;
• Regenerative architectures (ECM) inspired from nature;
• Enabling technologies for biofabrication of such structures;
• Cell–biomaterial interactions in nature-inspired architectures.

Dr. Lidy Fratila-Apachitei
Prof. Dr. Amir A. Zadpoor
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Functional Biomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• natural architectures
• tissue engineering
• regenerative medicine
• biomimetic surfaces
• cell–biomaterial interactions