Polymeric biomaterials: Strategies of the past vs. strategies of the future

This contribution analyzes briefly the past and present of polymer-based prosthetic devices. Starting from the concept of biomaterials, from the necessity of respecting the human organism and its components, and from the necessity of holding any biomaterials candidate to requirements specific of each application, this analysis underlines the trends in research that are commented with respect to the actual knowledge and expected advances. It emphasizes the case of novel solutions that are specific to the sector of temporary therapy, especially in surgery with degradable systems, in pharmacology with drug transport and drug targeting based on soft matter, and in tissue engineering.