Nature Biotechnology
20, 602 - 606 (2002)
doi:10.1038/nbt0602-602
A tough biodegradable elastomerYadong Wang1, Guillermo A. Ameer1, 2, Barbara J. Sheppard3
& Robert Langer11
Department of Chemical Engineering, 77
Massachusetts Avenue, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Cambridge, MA 02139. 2
Current address: Biomedical Engineering
Department, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
60208. 3
Division of Comparative Medicine, 77 Massachusetts
Avenue, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge,
MA 02139.
Correspondence should be addressed to Robert Langer rlanger@mit.eduBiodegradable polymers have significant potential in biotechnology
and bioengineering. However, for some applications, they are limited by their
inferior mechanical properties and unsatisfactory compatibility with cells and
tissues. A strong, biodegradable, and biocompatible elastomer could be useful
for fields such as tissue engineering, drug delivery, and in vivo
sensing. We designed, synthesized, and characterized a tough biodegradable
elastomer from biocompatible monomers. This elastomer forms a covalently
crosslinked, three-dimensional network of random coils with hydroxyl groups
attached to its backbone. Both crosslinking and the hydrogen-bonding
interactions between the hydroxyl groups likely contribute to the unique
properties of the elastomer. In vitro and in vivo studies show
that the polymer has good biocompatibility. Polymer implants under animal skin
are absorbed completely within 60 days with restoration of the implantation
sites to their normal architecture.
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