The respiratory burst response of surface-adhering leukocytes. A key to tissue engineering

Biomaterials implanted into tissue will participate in the complex signalling between cells during wound healing. Recent studies have revealed that crucial cellular signalling pathways are regulated by the extra- and intracellular redox states and that reactive oxygen species function as intercellular signal molecules. Biomaterials have been shown to affect the respiratory burst response of surface-adhering leukocytes, thus interfering with major regulatory functions of cells also in surrounding tissues. The respiratory burst of surface-adhering leukocytes may thus be a key event in the understanding of biomaterial interaction with tissues, and the aim of this review is to highlight this field of research.