Receptor-ligand interactions: Advanced biomedical applications

Receptor-ligand interactions (RLIs) are at the base of all biological events occurring in living cells. The understanding of interactions between complementary macromolecules in biological systems represents a high-priority research area in bionanotechnology to design the artificial systems mimicking natural processes. This review summarizes and analyzes RLIs in some cutting-edge biomedical fields, in particular, for the preparation of novel stationary phases to separate complex biological mixtures in medical diagnostics, for the design of ultrasensitive biosensors for identification of biomarkers of various diseases at early stages, as well as in the development of innovative biomaterials and approaches for regenerative medicine. All these biotechnological fields are closely related, because their success depends on a proper choice, combination and spatial disposition of the single components of ligand-receptor pairs on the surface of appropriately designed support.