Evaluating Biocompatibility: From Classical Techniques to State-of-the-Art Functional Proteomics

Biocompatibility remains a central issue for introducing biomaterials and nanomedicines into the clinic, requiring safety, functionality, toxicity prevention, and the control of foreign body reactions. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate multiple biomaterial parameters and molecular interactions affecting cell functions, like apoptosis, adhesion, proliferation, or spreading, as well as intracellular signals and cellular microenvironment status. Although conventional well-established in vitro techniques are helpful at the first stages of bio and nanomaterials development, high-throughput techniques expand the screening and designing possibilities. This review presents high-throughput functional proteomics approaches, focused on protein microarrays and mass spectrometry techniques, for the evaluation of biocompatibility in the new era of biomedicine.