The convergence of materials chemistry and biomedicine has expanded the utility of aerogels beyond conventional thermal insulation and industrial sorption into life science applications. The porosity, specific surface area, and tailorable micro-/nanopore topologies of aerogels offer structural homologies to the native Extracellular Matrix (ECM) found within living tissues. This biomimetic architectural capability positions aerogels as matrices for targeted drug delivery systems and tissue engineering scaffolds.

In drug delivery science, enhancing the bioavailability of poorly water-soluble active pharmaceutical ingredients (BCS Class II and IV compounds) while maintaining sustained release profiles remains a challenge. Nanoporous organic aerogels—synthesized from natural biopolymers like cellulose, chitosan, or starch—act as carrier platforms. Utilizing supercritical fluid impregnation (SFI) with carbon dioxide, active pharmaceutical molecules can be deposited in an amorphous state throughout the aerogel matrix. Because amorphous drugs do not require energy to disrupt a crystalline lattice upon dissolution, the vast internal wetted area of the porous carrier facilitates rapid burst release or zero-order sustained kinetics, improving therapeutic efficacy while dampening off-target toxicity.

In bone tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, aerogels serve as three-dimensional cell culture frameworks and osteoconductive scaffolds. Native bone tissue comprises an organic/inorganic nanocomposite composed of collagen fibril networks mineralized with hydroxyapatite (HAp) crystals. Hybrid organic/inorganic aerogels—such as chitosan-hydroxyapatite nanocomposites—replicate this native architectural layout.

These biomedical aerogel scaffolds feature interconnected macropores (enabling cellular migration and vascular ingrowth), mesopores (facilitating nutrient influx and metabolic waste clearance), and micropores (concentrating cell-signaling proteins and growth factors). When osteoblasts or mesenchymal stem cells are seeded upon these biomimetic scaffolds, the three-dimensional topological cues promote cell adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation. Furthermore, the in vivo biodegradation kinetics of the biopolymer aerogel framework can be tuned via cross-linking density, matching the rate of scaffold resorption to native bone tissue regeneration.