Future challenges in the in vitro and in vivo evaluation of biomaterial biocompatibility

As the science and engineering of biomaterials continues to expand with increased emphasis on the development of nanomaterials and tissue engineering scaffolds, emphasis also must be placed on appropriate and adequate approaches to the in vivo and in vitro evaluation of biomaterial biocompatibility/biological response evaluation. This article presents six topic areas that should be addressed by investigators as they move forward in the development of new systems for regenerative medicine. Most certainly, there are other areas that require attention to detail and a more complete understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of various experimental approaches to biomaterial/biological response evaluation. The small number of issues addressed in this article is only meant to bring to the attention of prospective investigators and authors, the importance of the development of adequate and appropriate evaluation techniques that address the unique features of biomaterials utilized in the development of new medical devices.