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Thiomers
Thiolated polymers designated thiomers are functional polymers used in biotechnology product development with the intention to prolong mucosal drug residence time and to enhance absorption of drugs. The name thiomer was coined by Andreas Bernkop-Schnürch in 2000. Thiomers have thiol bearing side chains. Sulfhydryl ligands of low molecular mass are covalently bound to a polymeric backbone consisting of mainly biodegradable polymers, such as chitosan, hyaluronic acid, cellulose derivatives, pullulan, starch, gelatin, polyacrylates, cyclodextrins, or silicones. Thiomers exhibit properties potentially useful for non-invasive drug delivery via oral, ocular, nasal, vesical, buccal and vaginal routes. Thiomers show also potential in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Various thiomers such as thiolated chitosan and thiolated hyaluronic acid are commercialy available as scaffold materials. Thiomers can be directly compressed to tablets or given as solutions. In ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
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Tissue Engineering
Tissue engineering is a biomedical engineering discipline that uses a combination of cells, engineering, materials methods, and suitable biochemical and physicochemical factors to restore, maintain, improve, or replace different types of biological tissues. Tissue engineering often involves the use of cells placed on tissue scaffolds in the formation of new viable tissue for a medical purpose, but is not limited to applications involving cells and tissue scaffolds. While it was once categorized as a sub-field of biomaterials, having grown in scope and importance, it can be considered as a field of its own. While most definitions of tissue engineering cover a broad range of applications, in practice, the term is closely associated with applications that repair or replace portions of or whole tissues (i.e. organs, bone, cartilage, blood vessels, bladder, skin, muscle etc.). Often, the tissues involved require certain mechanical and structural properties for proper functioning. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
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Mucoadhesion
Mucoadhesion describes the attractive forces between a biological material and mucus or mucous membrane. Mucous membranes adhere to epithelial surfaces such as the gastrointestinal tract (GI-tract), the vagina, the lung, the eye, etc. They are generally hydrophilic as they contain many hydrogen macromolecules due to the large amount of water (approximately 95%) within its composition. However, mucin also contains glycoproteins that enable the formation of a gel-like substance. Understanding the hydrophilic bonding and adhesion mechanisms of mucus to biological material is of utmost importance in order to produce the most efficient applications. For example, in drug delivery systems, the mucus layer must be penetrated in order to effectively transport micro- or nanosized drug particles into the body. Bioadhesion is the mechanism by which two biological materials are held together by interfacial forces. The mucoadhesive properties of polymers can be evaluated via rheological synergism ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
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Chitosan
Chitosan is a linear polysaccharide composed of randomly distributed β-(1→4)-linked D-glucosamine (deacetylated unit) and ''N''-acetyl-D-glucosamine (acetylated unit). It is made by treating the chitin shells of shrimp and other crustaceans with an alkaline substance, such as sodium hydroxide. Chitosan has a number of commercial and possible biomedical uses. It can be used in agriculture as a seed treatment and biopesticide, helping plants to fight off fungal infections. In winemaking, it can be used as a fining agent, also helping to prevent spoilage. In industry, it can be used in a self-healing polyurethane paint coating. In medicine, it is useful in bandages to reduce bleeding and as an antibacterial agent; it can also be used to help deliver drugs through the skin. History In 1799, British chemist Charles Hatchett experimented with decalcifying the shells of various crustaceans, finding that a soft, yellow and cartilage-like substance was left behind that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
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Andreas Bernkop-Schnürch
Andreas Bernkop-Schnürch (born 6 December 1965) is an Austrian scientist and professor serving as Head of the Department of Pharmaceutical Technology at the Institute of Pharmacy, University of Innsbruck. His research focuses on drug delivery systems, dosage forms, controlled release mechanisms, nanobiotechnology, polymer engineering, and tissue engineering. He is the inventor of several technologies, including thiolated polymers, and following patents such as EP1126881B1, US7354600B1, CN1325312A, JP4744693B2. which he named ''thiomers'' in 2000, and phosphatase-triggered charge-converting nanoparticles designed for mucosal drug delivery. Since 2014, Bernkop-Schnürch has been a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for Denmark's Nicotine Science Center. From 2016 to 2018, he served on the Scientific Committee of the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) of the European Union, contributing to the Strategic Research Agenda for Horizon 2020 by advising on scientific prioriti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
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Polymer
A polymer () is a chemical substance, substance or material that consists of very large molecules, or macromolecules, that are constituted by many repeat unit, repeating subunits derived from one or more species of monomers. Due to their broad spectrum of properties, both synthetic and natural polymers play essential and ubiquitous roles in everyday life. Polymers range from familiar synthetic plastics such as polystyrene to natural biopolymers such as DNA and proteins that are fundamental to biological structure and function. Polymers, both natural and synthetic, are created via polymerization of many small molecules, known as monomers. Their consequently large molecular mass, relative to small molecule compound (chemistry), compounds, produces unique physical property, physical properties including toughness, high rubber elasticity, elasticity, viscoelasticity, and a tendency to form Amorphous solid, amorphous and crystallization of polymers, semicrystalline structures rath ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
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Polyacrylic Acid
Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA; trade name Carbomer) is a polymer with the formula (CH2−CHCO2H)''n''. It is a derivative of acrylic acid (CH2=CHCO2H). In addition to the homopolymers, a variety of copolymers and crosslinked polymers, and partially deprotonated derivatives thereof, are known and of commercial value. In a water solution at neutral pH, PAA is an anionic polymer, i.e., many of the side chains of PAA lose their protons and acquire a negative charge. Partially or wholly deprotonated PAAs are polyelectrolytes, with the ability to absorb and retain water and swell to many times their original volume. These properties acid–base and water-attracting are the basis of many applications. Synthesis PAA, like any acrylate polymer, is usually synthesized through a process known as free radical polymerization, though graft polymerization may also be used. Free radical polymerization involves the conversion of monomers, in this case, acrylic acid (CH2=CHCO2H), into a polymer cha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
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In Vitro
''In vitro'' (meaning ''in glass'', or ''in the glass'') Research, studies are performed with Cell (biology), cells or biological molecules outside their normal biological context. Colloquially called "test-tube experiments", these studies in biology and its subdisciplines are traditionally done in labware such as test tubes, flasks, Petri dishes, and microtiter plates. Studies conducted using components of an organism that have been isolated from their usual biological surroundings permit a more detailed or more convenient analysis than can be done with whole organisms; however, results obtained from ''in vitro'' experiments may not fully or accurately predict the effects on a whole organism. In contrast to ''in vitro'' experiments, ''in vivo'' studies are those conducted in living organisms, including humans, known as clinical trials, and whole plants. Definition ''In vitro'' (Latin language, Latin for "in glass"; often not italicized in English usage) studies are conducted ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
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Half-life
Half-life is a mathematical and scientific description of exponential or gradual decay. Half-life, half life or halflife may also refer to: Film * Half-Life (film), ''Half-Life'' (film), a 2008 independent film by Jennifer Phang * ''Half Life: A Parable for the Nuclear Age'', a 1985 Australian documentary film Literature * Half Life (Jackson novel), ''Half Life'' (Jackson novel), a 2006 novel by Shelley Jackson * Half-Life (Krach novel), ''Half-Life'' (Krach novel), a 2004 novel by Aaron Krach * Halflife (Michalowski novel), ''Halflife'' (Michalowski novel), a 2004 novel by Mark Michalowski * ''Rozpad połowiczny'' (), a 1988 award-winning dystopia novel by Edmund Wnuk-Lipiński Music *Half Life (3 album), ''Half Life'' (3 album) (2001) *Halflife (EP), ''Halflife'' (EP), an EP by Lacuna Coil and the title track *''Half-Life E.P.'', an EP by Local H * "Half Life", a song by 10 Years from ''The Autumn Effect'' * "Half Life", a song by Come from ''Near-Life Experience'' * "Ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
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Poloxamers
Poloxamers are nonionic triblock copolymers composed of a central hydrophobic chain of polyoxypropylene (poly(propylene oxide)) flanked by two hydrophilic chains of polyoxyethylene (poly(ethylene oxide)). The word was coined by BASF inventor, Irving Schmolka, who received the patent for these materials in 1973. Poloxamers are also known by the trade names Pluronic, Kolliphor (pharma grade), and Synperonic. Because the lengths of the polymer blocks can be customized, many different poloxamers exist that have slightly different properties. For the generic term ''poloxamer'', these copolymers are commonly named with the letter ''P'' (for poloxamer) followed by three digits: the first two digits multiplied by 100 give the approximate molecular mass of the polyoxypropylene core, and the last digit multiplied by 10 gives the percentage polyoxyethylene content (e.g. P407 = poloxamer with a polyoxypropylene molecular mass of 4000 g/mol and a 70% polyoxyethylene content). For the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
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- Thiomers -
The symbol , known in Unicode as hyphen-minus, is the form of hyphen most commonly used in digital documents. On most keyboards, it is the only character that resembles a minus sign or a dash, so it is also used for these. The name ''hyphen-minus'' derives from the original ASCII standard, where it was called ''hyphen (minus)''. The character is referred to as a ''hyphen'', a ''minus sign'', or a ''dash'' according to the context where it is being used. Description In early typewriters and character encodings, a single key/code was almost always used for hyphen, minus, various dashes, and strikethrough, since they all have a similar appearance. The current Unicode Standard specifies distinct characters for several different dashes, an unambiguous minus sign (sometimes called the ''Unicode minus'') at code point U+2212, an unambiguous hyphen (sometimes called the ''Unicode hyphen'') at U+2010, the hyphen-minus at U+002D and a variety of other hyphen symbols for various uses. Wh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |
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Dry Eye Syndrome
Dry eye syndrome, also known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca, is the condition of having dry eyes. Symptoms include dryness in the eye, irritation, redness, discharge, blurred vision, and easily fatigued eyes. Symptoms range from mild and occasional to severe and continuous. Dry eye syndrome can lead to blurred vision, instability of the tear film, increased risk of damage to the ocular surface such as scarring of the cornea, and changes in the eye including the neurosensory system. Dry eye occurs when either the eye does not produce enough tears or when the tears evaporate too quickly. This can be caused by age, contact lens use, meibomian gland dysfunction, pregnancy, Sjögren syndrome, vitamin A deficiency, omega-3 fatty acid deficiency, LASIK surgery, and certain medications such as antihistamines, some blood pressure medication, hormone replacement therapy, and antidepressants. Chronic conjunctivitis such as from tobacco smoke exposure or infection may also lead to the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] [Amazon] |