Bioactive specific biomaterials: Present and future

Abstract

Bioactive biomaterials made of synthetic or artificial polymers substituted with specific chemical functional groups carried by the macromolecular chain are designed to develop specific interactions with living systems. These soluble or insoluble polymers are derivedfrom polystyrene and dextran. Such functional polymers may be endowed with anticoagulant heparin-like properties and, as a consequence, possess low thrombogenicity when they are in contact with flowing blood. Other functional polymers have been tailored specifically to interact with components of the immune system. Other polymers, in contact with cells can affect both cell growth and cell biological functions or only cell biological activity without necessarily undergoing change in all characteristics. Derived from the above concepts, it is possible to demonstrate that a random statistical distribution of chemical groups along the macromolecular backbone correlates with the biological properties of these polymers. © 1992, IUPAC.