Applications in Drug and Gene Delivery

Cardiovascular rotary blood pump Ti substate 1) hydrojy lation 2) silanation 3) argon-plasma treatment and exposure to air 4) UV radiation-induced grafting of MFC 46 

Cardiovascular rotary blood pump Ti substrate 1) magneton sputtering to generate crystalline Ti02 film 2) HUPA linking layer modified to produce ATRP initiator sites 3) ATRP polymerization of MFC 47 

Cardiovascular antithrombus, improved hemocompatibility Ti substrate MPC copolymer with monomer carrying catechol groups direct attachment to Ti02 by dipping process 43,44 

Cardiovascular coronary artery disease targeting late stent thrombosis PLEA stent Polymer blend with P(MPC3o-co-BMA7o) 48,49 

Cardiovascular TE small diameter vascular graft PEUU Methacrylic acid copolymer attached to ammonia gas plasma-treated surface 50 

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Li W, Nicol F, Szoka F C, Jr (2004). GALA A designed synthetic pH-responsive amphipathic peptide with applications in drug and gene delivery. Adv. Drug Deli. Rev. 56 967-985. 

There appears to be a consensus in literature that new polymer materials for applications in drug and gene delivery are needed. However, the process of material development for pharmaceutical applications requires a significant commitment of both time and money, including the daunting requirement to address regulatory issues. Therefore, the prospect of development of new, novel polymer materials cannot be taken lightly. As... 

The enormous potential of enzymes has been recently applied to polymer material synthesis and modifications. This recent application has made biocatalysis a popular topic for polymeric research in academia and industry. Enzyme catalysis has provided a new synthetic strategy for useful polymers most of which are otherwise very difficult to produce by conventional chemical catalysis. This paper overviews our recent work on the use of a variety of eu2ymes in the synthesis of novel pegylated multifunctional polymers for applications in drug and gene delivery. 

Figure 11.1 Applications of polymers in drug and gene delivery.

As demonstrated above, the edge tension is a sensitive parameter, which effectively characterizes the stability of pores in membranes. Compiling a database for the effect of various types of membrane inclusions will be useful for understanding the lifetime of pores in membranes with more complex compositions, which is important for achieving control over medical applications for drug and gene delivery in cells. 

Abstract This chapter summarizes the properties and most representative applications of pH-responsive polymers in the biomedical field.The most common methodologies to synthesize pH-responsive polymers such as emulsion polymerization, group transfer polymerization, atom transfer radical polymerization and reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization are described. This chapter also discusses the most important applications of pH-responsive polymers in drug and gene delivery and the use of these systems as biosensors, taking into account the chemical and physical properties of these smart polymer systems. 

In addition, artificial materials have been employed in diverse diagnostic and therapeutic applications and biotechnologies, e.g., tracers for advanced imaging technologies, carriers for controlled drug and gene delivery, biosensors and growth supports for cells in a culture. 

The properties associated with the amphiphilic monomer units are strongly exemplified in thermosensitive water-soluble polymers, typical examples of which are shown in Scheme 5. Thermosensitive polymers possess a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) in water solutions. Due to their sharp response to temperature variation, they are widely used in various scientific and technological applications. Drug and gene delivery [1-3], chromatographic [9,10], membrane technology [11,12], and catalyst immobiliza-... 

Taken together, all of these characteristics have stimulated significant interest in the use of protein-based biomaterials for drug delivery, gene delivery, and other biomedical applications. The purpose of this chapter is to present the current state of the art in the use of biologically synthesized, protein-based polymers for biomedical applications, with an emphasis on drug and gene delivery. 

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