ELECTROACTIVE CONDUCTING POLYMERS FOR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS

Electroactive conducting polymers (ECPs), such as polypyrrole (PPy) and polyaniline (PANi), have shown potential applications in the biomedical field. ECP has been the focus of attentions by scientists, biological, tissue engineering as well as medical professionals. The current researches concentrate on biocompatibility, tissue engineering, protein separation, DNA repair adsorption, controlled drug delivery, biosensors and so on. ECP as scaffolds might find applications in regulating functions and regenerating of neuron,brain cells, cardiac stem cells and orientation induced tissue regeneration. Electric stimulation was shown to affect cell prolification and differentiation. Recent progresses in conductive polypyrrole and polyaniline in biomedical field are reviewed in this paper. Some potentially rewarding research directions are suggested.