**Hyun-Do Jung**

Dr. Hyun-Do Jung, an assistant professor, is currently working at the Department of BioMedical-Chemical Engineering (BMCE), Catholic University of Korea, Korea. He is the Principal Investigator of the Advanced Biomaterials for Biomedical Applications Laboratory (ABBA Lab). His laboratory is trying to achieve high efficiency and performance in biomedical applications. He is particularly interested in developing advanced biomaterial systems to address limitations in hard (e.g., dental and orthopedic) and soft (e.g., cardiovascular, skin, and artificial organ) tissue engineering, with the general approach of creating a scaffold with an optimal design and modifying its surface to improve its performance in the physiological environment. He received his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from Seoul National University, Korea. With more than a decade of experience in academia and industry, he has published more than 70 papers in peer-reviewed journals and has more than 20 registered patents. He is a committee member of the Korean Institute of Metals and Materials (KIMM), the Korean Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (KTERMS), and the Korean Society for Biomaterials (KSB).

## *Editorial* **Titanium and Its Alloys for Biomedical Applications**

**Hyun-Do Jung 1,2**


#### **1. Introduction and Scope**

In the past decades, metals have been considered as promising materials in the fields of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. Metallic bio-materials with excellent mechanical strength can effectively support and replace damaged tissue. Hence, metals have been widely used in load-bearing applications for dentistry and orthopedics. cobalt-, iron-, and titanium (Ti)-based alloys are representative bio-metals used in various forms such as vascular stents, hip joints, dental, and orthopedic implants. However, the alloying elements of Co- and Fe-based alloys, Co, Ni, and Cr, induce severe toxicity when ionized in the body, which limits their clinical use.

On the other hand, Ti and its alloys have been widely used as medical devices and implants applied in dental and orthopedic applications due to their excellent bone regeneration ability, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance. Even though Ti and its alloys have been generally used for biomedical applications, there are still challenges that must be met in order to satisfy clinical applications. For example, osseointegration with the surrounding bone tissue at the initial stage of implantation has been pointed out as a major issue. In recent years, much attention has been placed on the design of new Ti alloys and composites with a modified process such as the advanced casting method and artificial intelligence for fabricating dental and orthopedic implants with lower elastic moduli in combination with higher strength. On the other hand, some researchers have focused on the surface modification of Ti-based medical devices and implants for inducing rapid bone ingrowth.

This Special Issue, "Titanium and Its Alloys for Biomedical Applications", has been proposed as a means to present recent developments in biomedical applications. The nine research articles included in this Special Issue cover broad aspects of Ti-based alloys and composites with respect to their composition, mechanical, and biological properties, as highlighted in this editorial.
