Polysaccharide‐modified synthetic polymeric biomaterials

Abstract

This review presents an overview of polysaccharide‐conjugated synthetic polymers and their use in tissue‐engineered scaffolds and drug‐delivery applications. This topic will be divided into four categories: (1) polymeric materials modified with non‐mammalian polysaccharides such as alginate, chitin, and dextran; (2) polymers modified with mammalian polysaccharides such as hyaluronan, chondroitin sulfate, and heparin; (3) multi‐polysaccharide‐derivatized polymer conjugate systems; and (4) polymers containing polysaccharide‐mimetic molecules. Each section will discuss relevant conjugation techniques, analysis, and the impact of these materials as micelles, particles, or hydrogels used in in‐vitro and in‐vivo biomaterial applications. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 94:128–140, 2010. This article was originally published online as an accepted preprint. The “Published Online” date corresponds to the preprint version. You can request a copy of the preprint by emailing the Biopolymers editorial office at biopolymers@wiley.com