Polymeric materials play an increasingly important role in pharmaceuticals for a number of specific functions such as targeting, timed release, and sensor-responsive release. They are also applicable to sensor devices, in situ prostheses and probes, and microparticle diagnostic agents. This volume publishes 22 recent research-based reports on developments in these areas of pharmaceutical and biomaterials technology.

Polymeric Drugs and Drug Delivery Systems covers synthesis, derivatization, degradation, characterization, application, and evaluation techniques, as well as new biodegradable materials, assemblies, hydrogels, telechelic polymers, derivatized polysaccharides, micro- and nanoparticles, mimetic protein networks, and interpenetrating polymers. Polymer drug design for enhanced physiological drug distribution, drug targeting, time-controlled release, sensor-responsive release, and other topics are also presented.

From the Preface: “...The basis of this book is to expose the reader to the important areas of synthetic biorelated polymers systems and the potential impact they will have the 21st century...The chapters are written to emphasize the chemical and physical properties of several unique polymer systems and the many stages involved in their physiological adaptations to achieve an intended utilization...”

Target Audience: Any reader involved in the research, design, and evaluation of pharmaceuticals and biomaterials.

Table of Contents:

Semitelechelic Poly[n-(2-hydroxylpropyl)-methacrylamide] for Biomedical Applications

Thermoresponsive Polymeric Micelles for Double Targeted Drug Delivery

pH/Temperature-Sensitive Polymers for Controlled Drug Delivery

Design of Polymeric Systems for Targeted Administration of Peptide and Protein Drugs

Drug Release from Ionic Drugs from Water-Insoluble Drug-Polyion Complex Tablets

Polychelating Amphiphilic Polymers (PAP) as Key Components of Microparticulate Diagnostic Agents

Bioconjugation of Biodegradable Poly(lactic/glycolic Acid) to Protein, Peptide, and Anti-Cancer Drug: An Alternative Pathway for Achieving Controlled Release from Micro- and Nanoparticles

Elastin-Mimetic Protein Networks Derived from Chemically Crosslinked Synthetic Polypeptides

Genetically Engineered Protein Domains as Hydrogel Crosslinks

Superporous Hydrogel Composites: A New Generation of Hydrogels with Fast Swelling Kinetics, High Swelling Ratio and High Mechanical Strength

Structure and Solute Size Exclusion of Poly(methacrylic acid)/Poly(n-isopropyl acrylamide) Interpenetrating Polymeric Networks

Thermodynamics of Water Sorption in Hyaluronic Acid and Its Derivatives

Photocrosslinked Polyanhydrides with Controlled Hydrolytic Degradation

Novel Cytokine-Inducing Macromolecular Glycolipids from Gram-Positive Bacteria

Hydrophobe Modified Cationic Polysaccharides for Topical Microbicide Delivery

Novel Anticrobial n-Halamine Polymer Coatings

Design of Macromolecular Prodrug of Cisplatin Attached to Dextran Through Coordinate Bond

Synthesis of Linear and Hyperbranched Stereoregular Aminopolysaccharides by Oxazoline Gycosylation

Diameter and Diameter Distributions of Poly(l-Lactide) Microspheres by Ring-Opening Polymerization of l-Lactide and from Earlier Synthesized Polymers

Examination of Fluorescent Molecules as in Situ Probes of Polymerization Reactions

Self-Etching, Polymerization-Initiating Primers for Dental Adhesion

Bioactive Polymeric Composites Based on Hybrid Amorphous Calcium Phosphates

Index