Biodegradable polymers suitable for tissue engineering and drug delivery systems

Abstract

Biodegradable polymers for medical and pharmaceutical application have been in the focus of scientific interest in the last two decades. Among the others, features like biocompatibility, supportive cell proliferation and biodegradation are considered as crucial in the fabrication of scaffolds in tissue engineering and controlled drug delivery systems. Polymers based on polyesters, polyethers, polyanhydrides, poly(ether esters), poly(ortho esters), poly(amino acids) are very significant for the application in medicine and pharmaceutics. Porous polymer matrices in tissue engineering encourage the growth of cells, at the same time allowing the exchange of nutrients and residuals. Drug delivery systems, where biological agent is dispersed / dissolved in the polymer matrix, act as reservoirs, while drug carriers are those systems where the active substance and matrix are chemically bonded. Of particular interest to many researchers are the systems in which degradation profile of polymer matrix is crucial in the determination of the rate by which the medicament is released. Biodegradable nanosized systems as devices of controlled release or selected targeting of active component attract significant attention. This paper provides a brief outline of biodegradable polymers, the properties important for their application in medicine, with particular interest in their hydrolytic degradation, and at the same time, it will serve as a basis for further research in this area.Biorazgradivi polimeri za medicinsku i farmaceutsku primenu su u fokusu naučnog interesovanja u poslednje dve decenije. Između ostalih karakteristika, osobine poput biokompatibilnosti, podržavanje proliferacije ćelija i biorazgradljivost smatraju se kao ključne u izradu podloga u inženjerstvu tkiva i sistema za kontroliranu dostavu lekova. Polimeri na bazi poliestera, polietera, polianhidrida, poli(etar estera), poli(orto estera), poli(amino kiselina) su veoma značajni za primenu u medicini i farmaciji. Porozne polimerne matrice u in enjeringu tkiva podstiču rast ćelija, omogućavajući istovremenu razmenu nutrijenata i metabolita. Sistemi za dostavu lekarstava, gde je aktivna komponenta dispergovana / rastvorena u polimernoj matrici, imaju ulogu rezervoara, dok nosioci lekova su sistemi u kojima je aktivna supstanca vezana hemijski za polimernu matricu. Poseban interes mnogih istraživača privlače sistemi u kojima degradacija polimernih matrica je krucijalna u određivanju brzine kojom se lek oslobađa. Biorazgradljivi sistemi sa nanodimenzijama, koji imaju ulogu uređaja za kontolirano oslobođenje ili selektivno nasočivanje aktivne komponente privlače značajnu pa nju. Ovaj rad predstavlja kratki pregled biorazgradljivh polimera, njihova svojstva značajna za primenu u medicini, sa posebnim naglaskom na njihovu hidrolitičku degradaciju, što bi poslužilo kako osnova za dalja istraživanja u ovom području.