Bioadhesives based on multifunctional biopolymers for biomedical applications

With the recent advancement in emerging biomedical engineering fields, such as tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and wearable medical devices, there is a growing need to develop adhesives that can function not only as tissue sealants for surgery and wound closure, but also attach various biomaterials and devices. These “bioadhesives” should allow refined control of cohesive and adhesive properties, while significantly improving the biocompatibility and biodegradability. For this reason, bioadhesives are being developed using a wide range of natural biopolymers with proven biocompatibility that can also impart multifunctionality either using their innate properties and/or obtained via various chemical modifications. In this review, state-of-the-art bioadhesives made from multifunctional biopolymers are introduced. Natural biopolymers are increasingly utilized to develop adhesives for biomedical applications, including wound healing and biomedical devices, for their favorable physicomechanical properties as well as their proven biocompatibility. Furthermore, various modification strategies are often employed to impart multifunctionality. In this review, recent development and notable examples of bioadhesives based on multifunctional biopolymers are highlighted.