Antigenicity and immunogenicity of collagen

Pertinent issues of collagen antigenicity and immunogenicity are concisely reviewed as they relate to the design and application of biomedical devices. A brief discussion of the fundamental concepts of collagen immunochemistry is presented, with a subsequent review of documented clinical responses to devices containing reconstituted soluble or solubilized collagen. The significance of atelocollagen, concerns regarding collagen‐induced autoimmunity, and other relevant topics are also addressed in the context of current understanding of the human immune response to collagen. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 71B: 343–354, 2004