title: Applications of conducting polymers and their issues in biomedical engineering.
abstract: Conducting polymers (CPs) have attracted much interest as suitable matrices of biomolecules and have been used to enhance the stability, speed and sensitivity of various biomedical devices. Moreover, CPs are inexpensive, easy to synthesize and versatile because their properties can be readily modulated by (i) surface functionalization techniques and (ii) the use of a wide range of molecules that can be entrapped or used as dopants. This paper discusses the various surface modifications of the CP that can be employed in order to impart physico-chemical and biological guidance cues that promote cell adhesion/proliferation at the polymer-tissue interface. This ability of the CP to induce various cellular mechanisms widens its applications in medical fields and bioengineering.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Republic of Singapore.
authors.forename: Rajeswari
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ravichandran
authors.forename: Subramanian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sundarrajan
authors.forename: Jayarama Reddy
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Venugopal
authors.forename: Shayanti
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
authors.forename: Seeram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramakrishna
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D001698:Biomedical Engineering; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D006801:Humans; D016716:PC12 Cells; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D013499:Surface Properties; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques; D023822:Tissue Engineering
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011108:Polymers