Covalently immobilized biosignal molecule materials for tissue engineering.

Immobilization of biosignal molecules including growth factors and cytokines is important for developing biologically active materials which can contribute to tissue engineering as a component. The immobilization has more meanings than only immobilization of the enzyme in a bioreactor or ligand-receptor interactions, because the immobilized biosignal molecules work on cells which have very complex structures and functions. This review discusses recent progress in immobilization of biosignal molecules, including the mechanisms and design concepts.