Tissue engineering polyanhydrides

Polyanhydrides have been developed into various systems with mainly bone tissue engineering applications in mind. These polymers have mechanical strength much lower than that of bone but have been combined with other polymers, such as poly(imide)s, to resolve this problem. Polyanhydrides have been developed into photo-cross-linkable systems, based on dimethacrylated anhydrides, and also injectable systems, but little interest into these polymers with regard to tissue engineering has been taken in the recent past [82]. 

So far, polyanhydrides have only been approved by the FDA as a drug dehvery system commercially produced by Guilford. Chemotherapeutic agent BCNU (carmustine) loaded in poly(CPP-SA) 20 80 wafer (Gliadel ) was used for treating brain tumors [161,194,195], More applications in controlled release include eye disorder, local anesthetics, and anticoagulants [194], Further biocompatibility analyses need to be conducted for the use of polyanhydrides in other tissue engineering applications. 

The most extensively investigated polyanhydride is poly [(carboxyphenoxy) propane-sebacic acid] p(CPP-SA). Ghadel is based on p(CPP-SA), which is used as a dehvery matrix for controlled dehvery of the chemotherapeutic carmustine to treat brain cancer. Septacin, a copolymer based on 1 1 S A and EAD, is used for the delivery of gentamicin in the treatment of osteomyehtis. Poly(anhydrides-co-imides) have been developed to combine the mechanical properties of polyimides with surface-eroding properties of polyanhydrides, and they are being explored as scaffolds for tissue engineering. 

Lutolf, M. P., J. L. Lauer-Fields, H. G. Schmoekel et al. 2003. Synthetic matrix metalloproteinase-sensitive hydrogels for the conduction of tissue regeneration Engineering cell-invasion characteristics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 100 5413-18. Maniar, M., X. D. Xie, and A. J. Domb 1990. Polyanhydrides. 5. Branched polyanhydrides. Biomateriak. 11 690-94. 

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