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A novel biocompatible polymer using glycerol and
sebacic acid has been developed by a team of researchers under the
leadership of Prof. Robert Langer of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
at Massachussetts Institute of Technology(MIT), USA.
Called 'Biorubber', the polymer is made of glycerol, which the body
uses to create a category of fats (lipids) and sebacic acid that
helps to metabolize some fatty acids. The molecular structure can
be tailored to make it elastic by adjusting the chemical ratios
of glycerol and sebacic acid. The degradability and interaction
with the cell also can be tailored. Biorubber in pure form would
be similar to ligaments and veins.
Biorubber shows promising results in animal testing and effectively
crosslinks with various proteins. The final product appears to be
a polymer and biomaterial merged together.
Biorubber has several possible applications. It could act as a scaffolding
to help in the design of heart tissue, blood vessels, cartilage,
bone and many other structures of the human body, including whole
organs needed for transplantation.
Biorubber will have to undergo the rigorous approval process of
US Food and Drug Administration before it can be used in human beings.
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