Biomimetic conducting polymer-based tissue scaffolds

http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0958166913000682/1-s2.0-S0958166913000682-main.pdf?_tid=09784648-5641-11e3-b449-00000aacb35d&acdnat=1385432488_a38300dcc81ac7bf6b5aadf308e87e71

This article discuses the uses and methods of synthesis for conductive bio compatible polymers. There are already numerous approved electrical stimulation devices for the body, such as pacemakers, and so the use of conductive polymers (CPs) is very attractive for bioengineers. While the synthesis and modification of these polymers is quite simple, it has still posed challenging to prepare clinically relevant CP-based tissue scaffolds. In this article, researchers discus methods in which they were able to mimic chemical, mechanical and topographical behavior of bodily tissue through the use of CPs, which could one day be integrated into drug delivery tissue scaffolds as well as muscle tissue scaffolds.

I found this article interesting because I had never actually thought of polymers as being conductive materials, in fact usually they are the opposite. It was cool to not only discover I was wrong about polymer conductivity but also that the conductive polymers have potential use in the regrowth/electrical stimulation of tissues.