Biologically active polymers

Handbook of Metatheds VoL 3 Polymer Synthesis, Second Edition. 

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Poly(oxyethylene)-Si02 ormosils have been prepared as an approach to the preparation of biologically active polymer-apatite composites. For this purpose, Yamamoto et al. [72] obtained these Class II hybrids from triethoxysilyl-terminated poly(oxyethylene) (PEG) and TEOS by using the in situ sol-gel process. After being subjected to the biomimetic process to form the bone-like apatite layer, it was found that a dense apatite layer could be prepared on the hybrid materials, indicating that the silanol groups provide effective sites for CHA nucleation and growth. 

General Comment. The foregoing examples clearly show that poly(vinyl alcohol) can be modified readily and that some of these derivatives have potential (and/or actual) biological activity. This survey is definitely not encyclopedic in scope but rather illustrative. No doubt many more examples of potentially biologically active poly(vinyl alcohol) derivatives will be developed in the future and it is entirely possible that some of these may become of value in chemotherapy and other areas where biologically active polymers are now being studied. 

Note 2 Usually, degradation results in the loss of, or deterioration in useful properties of the material. However, in the case of biodegradation (degradation by biological activity), polymers may change into environmentally acceptable substances with desirable properties (see Definition 3.1... 

Measurements of sedimentation behaviour of polymer molecule in solution can provide a consideratble amount of information, e.g., hydrodynamic volume, average molar masses and even some indication of molar mass distribution. Such measurements have been extensively used to characterise biologically-active polymers which often exist in solution as compact spheroids or rigid rods. However, sedimentation methods are rarely used to study synthetic polymers and so will be given only brief non-theoretical consideration here. 

In addition to valuable physicochemical properties, sulfated polysaccharides of the red algae are promising biologically active polymers, and many structural works already cited aimed at isolation and characterization of new compounds having potential medical application. The most important types of biological activity of sulfated galactans are listed briefly in this section. 

Biologically active polymers are of fundamental importance in the life process Itself. He need only note that molecules such as the proteins, nucleic acids, enzymes and many complex sugars are macromolecular in nature to realize how dependent life is upon polymer molecules. In addition, many of the polypeptide hormones are derived from a larger polypeptide or are synthesized by means of other macromolecules. Nearly all our foods and most of our bodies are composed of polymers and most of these are bloactive. He can note with certainty that macromolecules are essential to life as we know it. Beyond this, the interaction of macromolecules plays an Important role in many areas of life. Examples of this could Include such divergent effects as the pain-killing activity of the enkephalins or the toxic nature of snake venom which is a polypeptide in most cases. In subsequent chapters of this book, other authors will consider a variety of polymeric systems with various types of actual or potential activity with humans, animals and/or plants. In this chapter, we briefly explore the overall realm of biologically active polymers. 

A conqilete, detailed history of biologically active polymers is beyond the present scope, but we can note that such a complete history would be very difficult to unravel since the threads of this story are entwined not only in the area of polymer science but also in fields such as biochemistry, pharmacology, molecular biology and medicine. We will restrict this brief survey to synthetic bio-active polymers. Even here, however, it is difficult to draw forth an accurate picture since the early chemical literature abounds with examples of monomers and polymers that could possibly exhibit biological activity. Some of this literature has been reviewed, at least in part, elsewhere (1,2). Some early examples of potentially biologically active polymers Include 2-vinylthiophene in 1941 (3). 

Thus there exists the potential for "tallormaklng" metal-contalnlng biologically active polymers. 

Journal of Bioactive and Compatible Polymers 20,No.l, Jan.2005, p.95-111 BIOLOGICALLY ACTIVE POLYMERS MODIFICATION AND ANTI-MICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF CHITOSAN DERIVATIVES Kenawy E-R Abdel-Hay F1 El-Magd AA Mahmond Y Tanta,University... 

Incorporation of Polymer Additives in Chains Biologically Active Polymers... 

Donaruma, L.G. (1974) Synthetic biologically active polymers. Prog. Polym. Sci. 4 1-25. 

Biologically active polymer systems based on hemoglobin 13IZV6. Bioorthogonal chemistry Strategies and recent developments 13CC11007. 

Biologically active polymers n. Polymers capable of specifically and reversibly binding to analytes, including molecules and cells. The biologically active polymers are also capable of releasing substances upon electrical stimulation. 

Samour, C. M. Polymeric drugs in the chemotherapy of microbial infections in ref. 229, p. 161 Donaruma, L. G. Synthetic Biologically Active Polymers Progress in Polym. Sci. 4, London, Pergamon 1975... 

So far, it has been widely believed that any surface of synthetic polymers sooner or later causes blood clotting when it comes into contact with the fresh blood. However, polymers are increasingly used in medicine even in cases in which the polymer surface is in direct contact with blood. Typical examples are blood bags and membranes in extracorporeal blood circulation. In these cases the period of their contact with blood is relatively short and hence thrombus formation can be avoided by the addition of Ca -binders or biologically active polymers, such as heparin, to blood. The use of these anticoagulants, however, is not allowed when polymeric materials are implanted... 

The state of the subject up to the early 1960 s is covered by the volume edited by Fettes. Several collections of articles on reactions of polymers have been published since then, " as well as specialized reviews on particular topics including syntheses on solid supports, reactions on unsaturated polymers, and synthetic biologically active polymers. ... 

A major advancement for the synthesis of biologically active polymers using ROMP was the development of catalyst 5. Replacing the phosphine ligand of 2 with a pyridine derivative led to enhancements in the rates of both initiation and propagation [39,40]. Another major advantage of catalyst 5 is its ability to polymerize moderate- and low-ring-strain monomers, such as cyclooctene (COE) and... 

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