CURRENT AND FUTURE-DIRECTIONS OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS RESEARCH

Biomedical materials and implants are not synonymous. Materials pw se are not implanted-after configuring, processing, and finishing operati ons, they constitute parts of implants and other devices. The U.S. Foo d and Drug Administration currently does not ''approve'' biomaterials; rather, it approves medical devices, biologicals, and drugs. There ha ve been important advances during the past 40 years in the clinical us es of medical implants and other devices, especially in ophthalmology, cardiology, orthopaedics, surgery, and dialysis. In the 21st Century, there will be increased emphasis on curing and preventing major genet ic diseases. There will be many nontraditional clinical applications o f biomaterials, such as viral-and nonviral-mediated delivery agents in gene therapy, synthetic biomaterials with pharmacologic effects, and biomaterials that can integrate with the biological system to form a l ong-term, living, renewable interface with prosthetic implants. Theref ore, those working in the field of biomaterials must become familiar w ith new molecular biological techniques and be able to collaborate eff ectively with molecular biologists.