Pharma IQ Glossary: Biomaterials

A Biomaterial is defined as a material which is in whole or in part composed of living matter, such as polymer scaffolding perfused with cells. Biomaterials may be used as a medical device which augments or replaces natural tissue for therapeutic effect. The combination of synthetic and living material derived from stem cells could enable the repair of heart valves, bone, cartilage and other tissues by replacing or patching the damaged parts with materials that are genetically identical to the patient, and therefore safe from immunological rejection.