A new coating could help medical implants function better.
Tiny implants to monitor bodily functions or to provide insulin or other drugs based on immediate need would be an advancement in personalized medicine. But a problem inherent in implants is the tendency of the human immune system to recognize the device as an invader and encapsulate it, preventing the device from doing its job.
Carmen Scholz, Ph.D., of The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), has been working on the customized synthesis of biocompatible polymers that can coat sensors that are then implanted into the body to cloak them from the immune system, often referred to as a stealth character.