The use of degradable polymers in medicine largely started around the mid 20 century with their initial use as in vivo resorbing sutures. Thorough knowledge on this topic as been gained since then and the potential applications for these polymers were, and still are, rapidly expanding. After improving the properties of lactic acid-based polymers, these were no longer studied only from a scienti...

Polymer scientists, working closely with those in the device and medical fields, have made tremendous advances over the past 30 years in the use of synthetic materials in the body. In this article we will focus on properties of biodegradable polymers which make them ideally suited for orthopedic applications where a permanent implant is not desired. The materials with the greatest history of us...

Intracerebral implantation of biodegradable polymers loaded with cytotoxic or radiosensitising nucleoside analogues is a promising treatment strategy for malignant gliomas, which are currently intractable. The aim of the study was to develop biodegradable polymers containing nucleosides which could be implanted intracerebrally. Methods of synthesis were developed for the copolymers composed of ...

The focus in the field of biomedical engineering has shifted in recent years to biodegradable polymers and, in particular, polyesters. Dozens of polyester-based medical devices are commercially available, and every year more are introduced to the market. The mechanical performance and wide range of biodegradation properties of this class of polymers allow for high degrees of selectivity for tar...

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) at the moment is considered the leading polymer for protein conjugation in view of its unique properties, as well as to its low toxicity in humans, qualities which have been confirmed by its extensive use in clinical practice. Other polymers that are safe, biodegradable and custom-designed have, nevertheless, also been investigated as potential candidates for protein c...

With increasing global consumption and their natural resistance to degradation, plastic materials and their accumulation in the environment is of increasing concern. This review aims to present a general overview of the current state of knowledge in areas that relate to biodegradation of polymers, especially poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). This includes an outline of the problems associated...

in this study, microspheres containing estradiol valerate were prepared by solvent evaporation method using poly (glycolide-co-lactide) (plga 50:50) and poly (lactide). the effect of different process variables such as polymer type, drugpolymer ratio, stirring rate, volume of internal phase and temperature of external phase on the morphology, particle size distribution, encapsulation efficiency...