Synthetic polymers as solubilizing vehicles for enzymes in water-poor media

A recent method for exposing enzymes to organic solvents is reviewed. By complex formation between the enzyme and polymers that per se are soluble in organic solvents it is possible to disperse the enzyme in the organic medium in such a way that an optically transparent (in the visible region) solution is obtained. After reaction, the separation of the enzyme from the organic medium can be obtained simply by addition of water. The enzyme can be recovered from the water phase. Physicochemical studies have revealed that the enzyme is more stable in the complex-bound form

Tissue responses to novel tissue engineering biodegradable cryogel scaffolds: An animal model

Biodegradable macroporous cryogels with highly open and interconnected pore structures were produced from dextran modified with oligo L-lactide bearing hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) end groups in moderately frozen solutions. Tissue responses to these novel scaffolds were evaluated in rats after dorsal subcutaneous implantation, iliac submuscular implantation, auricular implantation, or in calvarial defect model. In no case, either necrosis or foreign body reaction was observed during histological studies. The cryogel scaffolds integrated with the surrounding tissue and the formation of a new tissue were accompanied with significant ingrowth of connective tissue cells and new blood vessels into the cryogel. The tissue responses were significantly lower in auricular and calvarial implantations when compared with the subcutanous and the submuscular implantations. The degradation of the scaffold was slower in bone comparing to soft tissues. The biodegradable cryogels are highly biocompatible and combine extraordinary properties including having soft and elastic nature, open porous structure, and very rapid and controllable swelling. Therefore, the cryogels could be promising candidates for further clinical applications in tissue regeneration. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 91 A: 60-68, 200

Bisphosphonate Ligand Mediated Ultrasensitive Capacitive Protein Sensor : Complementary Match of Supramolecular and Dynamic Chemistry

Modern healthcare demands rapid and accurate detection of proteins/enzymes at the ultratrace level. Herein we present a molecularly imprinted capacitive sensor for Trypsin, developed by microcontact imprinting. High affinity and selectivity was achieved by doping the prepolymerization mixture with a stoichiometric amount of methacrylamide-based bisphosphonate (BP) monomer. Taking advantage of the strong interaction of bisphosphonate with lysine/arginine residues on the surface of Trypsin, we have constructed a powerful polymeric sensor. The BP based sensor has the ability to recognize trypsin over other arginine-rich proteins, even in high ionic strength buffers with a sub-picomolar detection limit (pM). We believe that the combination of supramolecular chemistry, molecular imprinting and advanced instrumentation has a potential for future drug development and diagnostics that extends beyond biomolecular recognition