Modern medicine would be revolutionized, considering the immense number of benefits provided by advanced and complex biomaterials. These materials are being made in such a way that they are similar in composition and structure to the natural structures and tissues of the body. Hence, they can more closely restore or replace the functions of the missing or diseased body part. Several medical procedures such as require materials including implants, heart valves, ophthalmic devices, dental materials, cancer treatments, etc.
Today biomaterials are serving to deliver drugs and radiotherapy precisely to certain parts of the body and in this way improve the efficiency, safety and outcome of treatment. Implantable ceramics, which have been developed since twenty years, seem to be more and more natural and have immense dental and medical applications. Previously plastics and metals were utilized, which had a huge number of limitations. These materials were neither safe nor effective.
One such example has been the use of polyethylene which has been used as an implant material. Studies have shown that the material slowly gets absorbed by the tissues present around it, requiring replacements. Newer materials tend to last longer, function better, are definitely safer and more effective (Missouri S&T, 2003). Ceramics and Glass materials Use of ceramics and glass material are a major advantage on medicine, compared to the materials it replaced.
They are being utilized in a wide range of clinical situations including placing bone implants, developing prosthesis for teeth, restoring teeth and dental defects, use as braces or clips as orthodontic brackets and as a method of delivering drugs or radiotherapy specifically to certain parts of the body. Dentistry has been one of the branches which have gained immensely from the use of ceramic and glass material. The dental restorations made of ceramic can be precisely made to suit the patient’s previous natural teeth and accordingly esthetics and function can be restored, more precisely to any other material previously utilized.
Ceramics are also promising in the field of gene therapy and genetic engineering (The American Ceramic Society, 2007). One of the recent methods of delivering radiotherapy to patients suffering from liver cancer was developed by the scientists at the University of Missouri. The university conducted a trial on several patients suffering from liver cancer. This new treatment involves the use of microspheres or ‘TheraSpheres’ ™ that are made radioactive using a neutron reactor. The microspheres are of the diameter, one-third the size of a hair strand.
They are introduced into a blood vessel that feeds the liver. Once the microspheres enter the blood, they travel to the liver and destroy the tumor cells. The microspheres also damage a limited number of healthy tissue cells, which is inevitable. Treatment with ceramic microspheres seems to be very effective in cases of liver cancer where surgery cannot be performed. The patient can receive the treatment and travel home back the same day. The adverse-effects would be minimal and the quality of life would be greatly improved.
This treatment can be performed with a single procedure of injection of the microspheres. However, in the past due to the unpredictability of the procedure, a greater number of trials requiring more than one injection session was required. Studies have shown that the 5-year survival rate in patients treated with TheraSpheres TM would be greatly increased. Scientists are now looking at the possibility of using this technology to treat cancers of the brain, kidney, prostate, etc (The American Ceramic Society, 2007).