Biomedical polymer materials refer to polymer materials used in the diagnosis, treatment, repair or replacement of biological tissues or organs to enhance or restore their functions.
The function of biomedical polymer materials
Medical polymer materials are a kind of special functional polymer materials, which are usually used to diagnose, treat, replace or repair, synthesize or regenerate damaged tissues and organs, and have the functions of prolonging the life of patients and improving the quality of life of patients.
The development prospects of biomedical polymer materials
The research of medical polymer materials in my country started earlier and developed rapidly. At present, there are more than 50 units engaged in research in this area. There are currently more than 60 medical polymer materials and more than 400 kinds of products. The amount of polymethyl methacrylate used in medical treatment reaches 300 tons per year. However, the research of medical polymer materials in our country is still in the empirical and semi-empirical stage [5], and has not been able to build on the basis of molecular design. Therefore, the research and development of new materials should be based on the relationship between the structure and performance of the material, the relationship between the chemical composition of the material, the surface properties and the compatibility of living body tissues. Medical polymer materials must meet the strict requirements of biofunctionality, biocompatibility, chemical stability and processability in order to be applied to organisms. The research and development directions of biomedical materials mainly include the following aspects:
1. Tissue engineering materials
Tissue engineering is the application of the principles and methods of life science and engineering to construct a biological device to maintain and promote the growth of human cells and tissues to restore the function of damaged tissues or organs. Its main task is to repair or rebuild damaged tissues and organs, extend life span and improve health. The method is to "plant" specific tissue cells on a biological material with good biocompatibility that can be gradually degraded and absorbed by the human body to form a cell-biomaterial complex; the biological material provides a three-dimensional space for the growth and reproduction of cells. Nutrient metabolism environment; with the degradation of materials and the reproduction of cells, new tissues or organs that are compatible with their own functions and morphologies are formed. This kind of vital tissues or organs reconstructs the structure, morphology and function of damaged tissues or organs, and achieves permanent replacement.
2. Biomedical nanomaterials-drug controlled release materials and gene therapy carrier materials
The polymer drug controlled release system can not only improve the efficacy of the drug, simplify the administration method, and greatly reduce the toxic and side effects of the drug, but also the nano-targeted controlled release system enables the drug to be at the predetermined site, according to the designed dose, and within the required time range. Slowly released in the body at a certain speed, so as to achieve the purpose of curing a certain disease or regulating fertility. The development of one-time injection or oral polymer vaccine preparations will overcome the shortcomings of ordinary vaccines that require multiple injections to be effective, and is highly valued by people. The development of polymer contraceptive vaccines will provide a simple, non-toxic and side-effect and very safe new method for human fertility regulation, and may become an important measure to control population growth in the future. Gene therapy is the introduction of normal genes into specific cells (cancer cells) to repair defective or disease-causing genes, or introduction of protein genes that can express cancer treatment functions, or introduction of proteins that can prevent disease-causing genes from synthesizing proteins in the body Gene fragments are used to organize disease-causing genes to function, so as to achieve the purpose of treatment. The key of gene therapy is the carrier of the gene. Only with the aid of the carrier, the normal gene can enter the cell nucleus. At present, polymer nanomaterials and liposomes are ideal carriers for gene therapy. They have the characteristics of large carrying capacity and high safety performance. Recently, newly synthesized dendritic polymer materials are worthy of attention as a carrier for gene introduction.
3. Composite biological materials
As the main body of hard tissue repair materials, composite biomaterials have received extensive attention. It has the characteristics of high strength and good toughness, and has been widely used in clinical practice. Through the composite of materials with different properties, the effect of "compensating for shortcomings" can be achieved, and the problems of material strength, toughness and biocompatibility can be effectively solved. It is an effective means for the development of new varieties of biomaterials. Improving the compatibility between composite materials is the main subject of composite materials research. According to the different ways of use, there are more researches on the composite research of alloys, carbon fiber/polymer materials, inorganic materials (bioceramics, bioactive glass), and polymer materials.
4. Surface modification of biological materials is a permanent issue
In addition to designing and preparing new materials with excellent performance, the performance of materials can also be improved by surface chemical treatment, surface physical modification and biological modification of traditional materials. Surface modification of materials is a permanent topic in the research of biomaterials. For example, when using synthetic polymer materials to make artificial organs, copolymerization can be used to synthesize two or more polymers together, so that the hydrophilic groups in the material molecules are sparsely distributed everywhere, in a microscopic form. Uniform structure state, which can greatly improve the anti-thrombotic function. Looking to the future, the injection of high and new technology will greatly enhance the vitality of the medical polymer materials industry. In the application of conventional medical materials, the wear debris problem of artificial joint failure, the anticoagulation problem of cardiovascular devices, the degradation mechanism of materials, and the reliable methods and models for evaluating the long-term safety and reliability of materials and implants Such problems are expected to be improved. However, compared with developed countries, there is still a big gap in the scale of my country's medical polymer-related industries and the level of research and development. After my country’s entry into the WTO, the medical materials industry will face major challenges and opportunities. Therefore, with the strong support of the country, cross-departmental and cross-disciplinary cooperation should be carried out through the combination of self-reliance and technology introduction. Key investment in simulation, intelligent drug control and other aspects. Medical polymer materials will make greater contributions to the benefit of mankind.
