New biomaterial can be 'fine-tuned' for medical applications

Materials that successfully replicate the necessary elasticity and strength of biological tissues, but which also biodegrade over an appropriate timescale, are difficult to engineer because a material’s mechanical properties typically govern the rate at which it degrades.

The team, from Birmingham University, UK, and Duke University, US, said that they have successfully enabled the rate at which the material degrades in the body and its mechanical properties to be controlled independently through the addition of succinic acid, a product found naturally within the body, to control the degradation rate.

Gas sensor implant biodegrades inside the body

'Electronic skin' is recyclable alternative to wearable devices

In a new study published in Nature Communications, researchers showed how the polyester biomaterial degrades gradually over a period of four months, with healthy tissues growing into and eventually replacing the implant. Tests in rats were also carried out to confirm the material’s biocompatibility and safety.