Biomimetic strategies based on viruses and bacteria for the development of immune evasive biomaterials

The field of biomaterials has begun to focus upon materials strategies for modulating the immune response. While certain approaches appear promising, they are currently limited to isolated facets of inflammation process. It is well documented that both bacteria and viruses have highly developed methods for evading the immune system, providing inspiration for a more biomimetic approach to materials design. This review presents the immune evasive tactics employed by viruses and bacteria, and offers suggestions for future directions that apply these principles to design of immune evasive biomaterials.