TY  - EJOU
AU  - Morelli, Andrea 
AU  - Puppi, Dario 
AU  - Chiellini, Federica 

TI  - Polymers from Renewable Resources: Perspectives in  Biomedical Applications
T2  - Journal of Renewable Materials

PY  - 2013
VL  - 1
IS  - 2
SN  - 2164-6341

AB  - Polymers, particularly those susceptible to undergoing biodegradation under physiological environments, 
can be considered the materials of choice for biomedical applications such as tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and 
controlled and targeted drug delivery. The development of these relatively new fi elds of biomedical research represents the 
driving force towards the exploitation of renewable resources for the obtainment of biobased polymeric biomaterials. 
This perspective article reports on the biomedical applications of three major categories of biobased polymeric materials 
obtained from renewable resources, namely, polysaccharides, proteins and polyesters of natural origins. Particular emphasis 
is given to biobased polymers that display only minor modifi cation of their structure, thus maintaining most of their natural 
connotations. The advantages and major drawbacks related to their use for biomedical purposes are critically discussed.
KW  - Biodegradable polymers
KW  -  renewable resources
KW  -  biomedical applications
KW  -  tissue engineering

DO  - 10.7569/JRM.2012.634106