Poly(ether imide) scaffolds as multifunctional materials for potential applications in regenerative medicine

This article gives an overview of scaffolds that can be prepared from poly(ether imide) (PEI). These scaffolds were developed for extracorporeal blood detoxification processes in which specific compounds from blood or plasma are removed selectively. Both the preparation of porous microparticles and the preparation of hollow fibers are described. Commercially available particulate support materials have the disadvantage of a low accessibility of the internal pore system, a poor flow-through behavior and low adsorption specificity. Thus, novel support materials with optimally adapted properties profiles are needed. The second part of this article shows some recently developed highly asymmetric PEI hollow fibers. PEI scaffolds can be considered multifunctional because they combine separation characteristics, biocompatibility, sufficient biostability, and the possibility of creating tailor-made biofunctional surfaces.