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Emerging Biomimetic Approaches in the Optimization of Drug Therapies

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Biomimetics and Bionic Applications with Clinical Applications

Part of the book series: Series in BioEngineering ((SERBIOENG))

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Abstract

Pharmacology is the study of drug action and applications in living organisms. A significant aspect of pharmacology is the use of natural, semi-synthetic, and synthetic products in the prophylaxis or treatment of disease. Observations from nature are increasingly being adopted and adapted to solve real world challenges. Potential solutions to challenges of restoring biological systems to normal function may lie in normally functioning biological systems. Biomimetics is learning from nature and using nature’s methods in science and engineering. This review is based on a literature search of Medline conducted within the first week of October 2016, limited to articles published between 2005 and 5th October 2016. Search terms were Biomimetics and Pharmacology. The most recent 100 publications were used to determine emerging themes and interphases of Biomimetics and Pharmacology. Using the 100 most recent publications from the search, the emerging themes were biomaterial scaffolds (26%), bio-molecules with enhanced or novel pharmacologic properties (24%), nano-particles (11%), cancer therapeutics (9%), biomimetics method applied to pharmacology (6%), novel and improved antimicrobials (6%), stem cell science (4%), regenerative medicine (3%), siRNA molecules (2%), and molecule biosensors (1%). This review describes these themes using a few examples from literature. Advances in biomimetic research are rapidly expanding the scope of pharmacology and creating new themes and trends. These emerging themes are giving rise to new sub-specialties in pharmacology. However, great science will remain a multidisciplinary collaboration in one big venture—to keep improving the quality of life on earth.

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Acknowledgements

I give credit to Dharmacon, RNAi, Gene expression and Gene editing (http://dharmacon.gelifesciences.com/applications/rna-interference/sirna/) for material on the segment on siRNA. I acknowledge the support of Dr. Meir Israelowitz, Dr. Birgit Weyand, Prof Kerstin Reimers (of blessed memory), Prof Peter Vogt and colleagues at Hanover Medical School, Germany, for supporting my wife and me through the years and showing us developments in Biomimetics and plastic surgery. I acknowledge Dr Afieharo Michael (my wife) for her contributions to this chapter and to my career. I acknowledge my mentor Professor Catherine Falade for her support and encouragement through the years. Credit goes to many more people and sources that I wish to say all are duly recognized with gratitude. I thank God for Grace, for all the support, and encouragement given to me towards completing this work.

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  1. Chemotherapy Unit, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

    Obaro S. Michael

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  1. Obaro S. Michael
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Correspondence to Obaro S. Michael .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Biomimetics Technologies Inc., Toronto, ON, Canada

    Meir Israelowitz

  2. Abteilung für Plastische und Handchirurgie, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany

    Birgit Weyand

  3. University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Herbert P. von Schroeder

  4. Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Niedersachsen, Germany

    Peter Vogt

  5. Technical University, Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Niedersachsen, Germany

    Matthias Reuter

  6. (Deceased), Hannover, Germany

    Kerstin Reimers

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Michael, O.S. (2021). Emerging Biomimetic Approaches in the Optimization of Drug Therapies. In: Israelowitz, M., Weyand, B., von Schroeder, H., Vogt, P., Reuter, M., Reimers, K. (eds) Biomimetics and Bionic Applications with Clinical Applications. Series in BioEngineering. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53214-1_9

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