Biodegradable Polymer
Biodegradable Polymer - Related Videos
09:06
Intra-lymph Node Injection of Biodegradable Polymer Particles
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Cited by 45 •
2014
Lymph nodes are the immunological tissues that orchestrate immune response and are a critical target for vaccines. Biomaterials have been employed to better target lymph nodes and to control delivery of antigens or adjuvants. This paper describes a technique combining these ideas to inject biocompatible polymer particles into lymph nodes.
09:01
Programming Stem Cells for Therapeutic Angiogenesis Using Biodegradable Polymeric Nanoparticles
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Cited by 13 •
2013
We describe the method of programming stem cells to overexpress therapeutic factors for angiogenesis using biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles. Processes described include polymer synthesis, transfecting adipose-derived stem cells in vitro, and validating the efficacy of programmed stem cells to promote angiogenesis in a murine hindlimb ischemia model.
02:34
Polymers
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2020
The word polymer is derived from the Greek words “poly” which means “many” and “mer” which means “parts”. Polymers are long chains of molecules composed of repeating units of smaller molecules, known as monomers. They either occur naturally, such as DNA and proteins, or can be constructed synthetically, like plastics. They have varied structural characteristics, such as linear chains, branched chains, or complex networks, that contribute to the properties that they exhibit. Additionally,...
08:44
Tension Tests of Polymers
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2023
Source: Roberto Leon, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA Polymeric materials are widely used in civil structures, with uses ranging from very soft sealants to more rigid pipes in water and wastewater systems. The most basic definition of a polymer is a molecular structure with repeating subunits. The term polymer comes from Greek, where "poly" means many, and "-mer" means basic unit. Monomers, or single mers, are the specific repeating units. With...
08:43
Aerobic Biodegradation Testing of Materials Using a Natural Marine Seawater Inoculum and Closed Loop Respirometer
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2025
The protocol describes standard operating procedure for testing potentially biodegradable materials both synthetic and natural under aerobic conditions using a natural seawater inoculum and automated closed loop respirometry system.
FAQs
Water can penetrate the polymer matrix and reach bonds that are susceptible to hydrolysis, meaning cleavage caused by water. As those bonds break, the material can progressively lose mass and mechanical strength. This change is clinically important because a device must remain functional for the needed period, then decline as healing or treatment requirements change.
Enzymes and cellular processes may also contribute to degradation alongside water-driven chemical cleavage. Their involvement means that material loss can reflect both reactions within the polymer matrix and biological activity around it. Considering these contributors helps clinicians and developers judge whether the material will retain its intended role over time.
The degradation rate should correspond to the healing process and the device's intended clinical function. If material changes too quickly or too slowly relative to those requirements, its loss of mass and mechanical strength may not align with the period of support needed. Matching these characteristics is therefore central to clinical material selection.
Clinical suitability depends on more than whether the material eventually breaks down. The relevant considerations include degradation rate, the nature of degradation byproducts, retention of mechanical strength, and biocompatibility. Assessing these properties together helps align the polymer with a healing process, temporary device function, or other intended clinical use.
Temporary sutures illustrate a use in which material persistence is not intended indefinitely. A biodegradable polymer can provide the suture function while its degradation causes progressive loss of mass and mechanical strength. The clinically relevant question is whether those changes correspond to the period during which the tissue requires support.
In clinical design, the polymer's degradation rate, byproducts, mechanical strength, and biocompatibility can be considered together when selecting it for a drug-delivery system. These criteria help determine whether the material's temporary presence is compatible with the intended treatment period and biological setting, without requiring long-term persistence after its function is completed.
Tissue-engineering scaffolds and absorbable medical devices are applications where long-term material persistence may be undesirable. For these uses, researchers must consider how water, biological activity, and chemical processes affect the polymer over time. Degradation rate, byproducts, strength, and biocompatibility then provide the main criteria for matching the material to its clinical role.