epithelial, connective, and nerve tissues of vertebrates. It is designated as a glycosaminoglycan. [1] Glycosaminoglycans are composed of disaccharide blocks of N-acetylgalactosamine or N-acetylglucosamine, (amino sugars) and uronic sugars such as glucuronic acid, iduronic acid or galactose. This group of heteropolysaccharides comprises HA, chondroitin sulfates, dermatan sulfate, heparin and heparin sulfates whose sulfation degree is less than that of heparin. Unlike other glycosaminoglycans, hyaluronan is not sulfated and it is self-standing, i.e. without an association with a core protein. [2] It was isolated in 1934 by Meyer and Palmer from bovine vitreous humor. [3] The polymer chain of hyaluronan comprises repeating disaccharide units where the pyranose rings are connected by β-1,3 bonds. The repeating units are bonded with a β-1,4 glycosidic bond within the chain between N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and D-glucuronic acid. At physiological pH each glucuronate unit, associated with its carboxylate group, carries an anionic charge. The hundreds of negative charges are fixed to each chain. These anionic groups are balanced with mobile cations such as Na + , K + , Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ . During ionization of D-glucuronic acid with the carboxylic groups, the charges influence the organization of the chains and their interactions with their surroundings. In turn, they are affected by pH and ionic strength. The chain organization and charge directly affect the solubility in water, since hyaluronan is water-insoluble when convertedAs an Extracellular Matrix (ECM) component, Hyaluronic acid (HA) plays a multi-faceted role in cell migration, proliferation and differentiation at micro level and system level events such as tissue water homeostasis. Among its biological functions, it is known to interact with cytokines and contribute to their retention in ECM microenvironment. In addition to its biological functions, it has advantageous physical properties which result in the industrial endeavors in the synthesis and extraction of HA for variety of applications ranging from medical to cosmetic. Recently, HA and its derivatives have been the focus of active research for applications in biomedical device coatings, drug delivery systems and in the form of scaffolds or cell-laden hydrogels for tissue engineering. A specific reason for the increase in use of HA based structures is their immunomodulatory and regeneration inducing capacities. In this context, this article reviews recent literature on modulation of the implantable biomaterial microenvironment by systems based on HA and its derivatives, particularly hydrogels and microscale coatings that are able to deliver cytokines in order to reduce the adverse immune reactions and promote tissue healing.