PolySciTech
division of Akina, Inc. (www.polyscitech.com)
provides a wide variety of biodegradable polymers some of which exhibit reverse
thermal gelation. This process occurs for polymers that have a mixture of
hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions. In cold conditions, the water molecules
preferentially affiliate with the hydrophilic portions of the polymer and the
material dissolves into micelles. At higher temperatures, the water molecules
transition to a free state and the polymer micelles form bridges between each
other to form a gel held together by weak hydrophobic interactions (e.g. London
dispersion forces). There are many
practical applications for these materials. Here’s a few, recently published
applications of note:
Prostate cancer
treatment/vaccine adjuvant: Auburn University researchers utilized PolyVivo
AK097 (PLGA-PEG-PLGA) as a delivery agent for vaccines against the sex hormone GnRH. Such a system holds promise
for both fertility control as well as prostate cancer treatment. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168165615301498)
Gel-Printing:
Collaborators at Purdue University and KITECH utilized PolyVivo AO023
(PNIPAM-co-AM) as a gel printing system in which an inkjet-printer was modified
so as to print the cold polymer solution onto a warmed surface. This system
holds promise for controlled printing of living cells or tissues. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0017931015310565)
Wound
disinfection: Researchers at the University of Toronto utilized PolyVivo AO031
(PNVCL) as a carrier of gold nanorods into an infected wound model. By applying
a carefully defined laser to the system, they were able to rapidly raise the
temperature of the wound surface without increasing temperature underneath
allowing for extremely precise, localized heating. This system kills bacteria
regardless of antibiotic resistance. This system holds promise for treatment of
MRSA or other localized infections where conventional antibiotics are ineffective.
(http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142961216301144)
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