Bioactive fibers

Fig. 36 Formation of bioactive, fiber-scaffolds for tissue engineering. Mixtures of telechelic ureidopyrimidone polymers [consisting either of poly(e-caprolactam) or pep-tidic GRGDS sequences] are processes into fibers... 

Grimsley, J.K., W.R Singh, J.R. Wild, and A. Giletto. 2001. A novel, enzyme-based method for the wound-surface removal and decontamination of organophosphorous nerve agents. Pp. 35-49 in Bioactive Fibers and Polymers, ACS Symposium Series No. 742. J.V. Edwards and T.L. Vigo, eds. New York, N.Y. Oxford University Press. 

A glass composition which was found particuiarly suitable for these applications [67] contained 52% SiOs, 30% Na20,15% CaO and <3% P2O5 (in mole %). Fiber bundles or tow of up to 5000 filaments were drawn from a melt of this composition and were interwoven with carbon fiber tow into a cylindrically braided sheath/core textile preform. The carbon fibers formed the core of the braided structure and provided the required stiffness and load support, and the bone bioactive fibers formed the sheath and functionality. 

To create a practical reinforcing structure of this nature, two braids are in effect braided simultaneously, one forming the carbon fiber core, the other the bioactive fiber surface layer or sheath, and both are suitably interwoven, overlaid or otherwise intermingled. The carbon fibers in the core are first co-mingled with a suitable polymer such as a polysulfone, and coarse fibers of the same polymer are intermingled with the bone bioactive glass fibers. 

Keywords bicomponent fiber, multicomponent fiber, fibers of noncircular cross-section, sorption properties, separation, bioactive fibers, filled fibers, antibacterial textiles. 

The potential to use bioactive fibers with selective mzymatic propaties through grafting or covalent attachment of the enzyme on the surfece of fibrous materials has been attempted. Immobilization of alpha-amylase (61) and glucose oxidase (62) have been reported on a variety of fiibrics. Edwards et al. (63) have recmtly cempared the antimicrobial activity of glycine-linked lysozyme on cotton cellulose fabrics (Fig. 7). The aizyme-cellulose conjugates were shown be more effective in the lysis of gram-positive bacteria than freely soluble lysozyme. 

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