TECHNIQUES TO INVESTIGATE CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR-INTERACTIONS IN THE HOST RESPONSE TO IMPLANTED BIOMATERIALS

Evaluation of the host response to implanted materials requires system atic, objective investigations of responses at both the cellular and m olecular levels. This article explains the basis behind two technologi es: antibody and molecular techniques, which will give valuable inform ation when applied to investigations of cells and molecules involved i n the host biomaterial interaction. Such investigations are well under way, and a number of groups are now studying well characterised cell m arkers or molecules to evaluate the host response to biomaterials. Her e we outline current technologies for the development of antibodies as tools to study cell markers or molecules, including those for which r eagents are not yet available and DNA based technologies, whose contin ued application should prove an invaluable adjunct to existing approac hes. These technologies may be particularly valuable to investigations focusing on newly characterised cytokines, receptors or cell adhesion molecules and subsequently provide a way forward for the production o f advanced biomaterials. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Limited. All rights reserved.