A Tribute to Professor Larry Hench

摘要

Larry Hench is a giant in the biomaterials world. He was the first researcher to introduce the concept of a bioactive implant for tissue regeneration. It has been my privilege to be a friend and colleague of Larry since his seminal discovery of bioactive glass in the 1960s. My esteem for him is shared by leading biomaterials researchers internationally, as demonstrated by the distinguished delegate list to his celebratory Symposium at Imperial College. Highlights from this Symposium are brought together in this issue of Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Medicine, as a testament to his singular input to the subject.