Synthesis, characterization and biomedical applications of microbial polymalic and polyglutamic acids derivatives

Abstract

In the rapidly changing scientific world, contributions of scientists and engineers are leading to major new solutions of significant medical problems. Biology and medicine are beginning to reduce the problems of disease to problems of molecular science, and are creating new opportunities for treating and curing disease. Such advances are coupled closely with advances in biomaterials and are leading to a variety of approaches for relieving suffering and prolonging life.<br/><br/>Of particular interest is the central position that materials especially biopolymers, have taken in the development of novel treatments over the last 30 years. Biopolymers are used in many biomedical and pharmaceutical preparations, they play a central role in extracorporeal devices; from contact lenses to kidney dialyzers, are essential components of implants; from vascular grafts to cardiac pacemakers, and are the basis of controlled drug delivery technology; from hydrogels to micro and nanoparticles.<br/><br/>In the last few years, novel synthetic techniques have been used to impart desirable chemical, physical, and biological properties to biomaterials. Materials have either been synthesized directly, so that desirable chain segments or functional groups are built into the material, or indirectly, by chemical modification of existing structures to add desirable segments or functional groups.<br/><br/>Polymeric biomaterials can be produced by copolymerizations of conventional monomers to achieve nearly monodisperse polymers. It is possible to produce polymers containing specific hydrophilic or hydrophobic entities or biodegradable repeating units.<br/><br/>One interesting strategy to develop multitalented biomaterials is the biosynthesis of polymers because these macromolecules have several advantages like: biological resorbability, hydrodegradability, absence of immunogenicity, and appropriately high molecular mass. The chemical derivatizability of these polymers allows the formation of several products with a wide range of properties.