[Developments in understanding of interactions between blood and biomaterials at molecular and cellular levels]

Blood compatibility is one of the most important factors for biomaterials applied in blood-contacting environment, which is determined by a series of complicated interactions of biomaterials surfaces with both soluble and cellular components in blood. As the development of molecular biology technology and emergence of new characterization methods for changes of protein conformation structure and function, more and more researchers are making intensive efforts to understand hemocompatibility of biomaterials at molecular and cellular levels. In this paper, developments in understanding of interactions between blood and materials surfaces, especially the changes of plasma protein conformation structure and activation of platelets induced by biomaterials surfaces, are reviewed.