Inorganic nanoparticle-based biomaterials for regenerative medicine

Inorganic nanoparticles have unique physical properties and, in addition, are highly modifiable, making them versatile platforms for a range of medical applications including in diagnostics and cancer therapy. Within regenerative medicine, inorganic nanoparticles have been utilized, among others, as constituents within biomaterials. This is a rapidly evolving field where their large diversity in terms of content, shape, modifications, and morphology allows the development of new generations of biomaterials with changeable features at the nanoscale. In this chapter inorganic nanoparticles (including metallic and ceramic nanoparticles) and their uses in regenerative medicine are shortly introduced followed by a description of the use of inorganic nanoparticles to trace stem cells, and to create new types of materials, ranging from nanocoatings to organic-inorganic hybrid nanomaterials. Their potential bioactivity, as well as other valuable features for their use in tissue repair therapies is discussed.