[Progress of alginate-based biomedical materials].

Objective: To review the current situation of alginate-based biomedical materials, especially focus on the clinical strategies and research progress in the clinical applications and point out several key issues that should be concerned about.

Methods: Based on extensive investigation of domestic and foreign alginate-based biomedical materials research and related patent, literature, and medicine producted, the paper presented the comprehensive analysis of its research and development, application status, and then put forward several new research directions which should be focused on.

Results: Alginate-based biomedical materials have been widely used in clinical field with a number of patients, but mainly in the fields of wound dressings and dental impression. Heart failure treatment, embolization, tissue engineering, and stem cells culture are expected to become new directions of research and products development.

Conclusion: Development of alginate-based new products has good clinical feasibility and necessity, but a lot of applied basic researches should be carried out in the further investigations.