Chitosan composites for biomedical applications: Status, challenges and perspectives

Abstract

Chitosan is a natural cationic copolymer of N-acetyl glucosamine and D-glucosamine, varying in composition, sequence and molecular chain length. Because of its bio- and cyto-compatibility, biodegradability and bioresorbability, chitosan has been investigated for application in various biomedical fields such as drug and gene delivery, tissue engineering, wound healing, and for use in antimicrobial, antiviral and immunoadjuvant strategies. With the rise of nanotechnology, chitosan together with bioactive nanoparticles are fabricated into various bionanocomposites, providing alternatives to new era of regenerative medicine and drug delivery vesicles. The present paper will review the preparations and biomedical applications of such chitosan composites, their current achievements, limitations and future perspectives. In this respect, the effect of chitosan properties on the interaction with nanoparticles and its consequences for applicability of the resulting composites will be discussed. © 2008 Institute of Materials.