Multifunctional Degradable Polymers Whose Physical and Biological Properties are Modulated by the Pendant Functional Groups

摘要

Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine relies heavily on materials to replace or repair damaged cells and tissues.1,2 Currently used synthetic biomaterials mainly serve a structural role within the body and have very little capability to communicate with the cells and tissues of the body. However adherent cells function by dynamically examining their extracellular environment and executing an appropriate response. This implies that the matrix in which cells function - the extracellular matrix (ECM) - is a highly diverse, multifunctional entity whose material and functional properties can vary depending upon the cellular environment. Unlike this multifunctional ECM, current biomaterials such as polylactic acid and polyurethane, are linear polymer chains with minimal capability of interacting with their cellular environment.