Basic Studies on the Development of Functional Biodegradable Polymers and Surface Grafted Polymer Brushes

从历史上看，生物材料在从癌症治疗到器官置换等许多疾病的治疗中发挥着关键作用，并有助于改善人类健康。例子包括人造心脏，用于治疗心血管疾病的金属网支架和减少药物毒副作用的药物输送系统。在生物材料中，合成高分子材料在现代医学的发展中发挥了非常重要的作用。例如，聚合物已用于髋关节置换治疗以及患病或受损血管（例如血管移植物）的置换。其他示例包括用于输血治疗的血液储存袋。虽然合成材料有助于治疗许多医疗状况，但在其生物相容性和生物降解方面存在重大问题，因为大多数这些材料不是专门为其预期的医疗用途而设计的。在我们的研究计划中，我们通过了解身体如何与合成聚合物相互作用并研究生物医学用聚合物合成的基本方面来应对这些挑战。该计划的主要目标是i）研究具有明确降解和优异生物相容性的超支化聚缩酮和聚甘油，ii）通过RAFT聚合的酯可降解聚合物，iii）用于传感和酶筛选的超灵敏碳水化合物阵列，iv）对用于创建新型生物医学设备的聚合物刷形状记忆材料的基本理解。共同的主题是为未来的生物材料和设备开发和理解先进的聚合物基材料和化学。我们预计，这里提出的化学和材料将在生物可降解聚合物，生物材料和生物医学设备的设计提供新的方向。这些新材料将解决输血、铁螯合和抗凝治疗、疾病诊断和心血管疾病等领域尚未满足的临床需求，从而使全世界数百万人受益。这也将为我们的研究生创造丰富的机会，在跨学科的环境中工作，解决真实的问题，成为未来的领导者。

Historically Biomaterials played critical roles in the treatment of many diseases ranging from cancer therapies to organ replacement and helped to improve human health. Examples include artificial heart, metal meshes called stents for treating cardiovascular diseases and drug delivery systems for reducing the toxic side effects of drugs. Among biomaterials, synthetic polymers played a very important role in the advancement of modern medical treatments. For example, polymers have been used in hip replacement therapy as well in the replacement of diseased or damaged blood vessels (e.g.vascular grafts). Other examples include blood storage bags for transfusion therapy. Although synthetic materials helped to treat many medical conditions, significant problems exist in terms of their biocompatibility and biodegradation as most of these materials are not specifically designed for its intended medical use. In our research program, we are addressing these challenges by understanding how body interacts with synthetic polymers and investigating the fundamental aspects in the synthesis of polymers for biomedical use. Primary objectives of the program are i) investigation on hyperbranched polyketal and polyglycerols with defined degradation and excellent biocompatibility, ii) ester degradable polymers via RAFT polymerization, iii) ultrasensitive carbohydrate arrays for sensing and enzyme screening, iv) fundamental understanding of polymer brush shape memory materials for the creation of novel biomedical devices. The common theme is the development and understanding of advanced polymer based materials and chemistry for future biomaterials and devices. We anticipate the chemistry and materials proposed here will provide new directions in the design of biodegradable polymers, biomaterials and biomedical devices. These new materials will address the unmet clinical needs in the areas of blood transfusion, iron chelation and anticoagulation therapies, disease diagonis and cardiovascular diseases, thereby benefiting millions of people around the world. This will also generate rich opportunities for our graduate students to work in an interdisciplinary environment to address real problems and become future leaders.