Design and in vivo assessment of polyester copolymers based on trimethylene carbonate and ε‐caprolactone

Abstract

Poly(trimethylene carbonate-co-caprolactone) (PTCL) copolymers with various trimethylene carbonate ratios were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization and were used to prepare implants for an in vivo experiment. Medical silicone rubber was used as the control. Implants were prepared by compression molding with a laboratory instrument. The properties of these copolymer implants were investigated. PTCL implants and silicone rubbers were implanted subcutaneously in the dorsal region of New Zealand white rabbits. The assessment was performed 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 months postoperatively by the determination of the weight loss, water uptake, thermal behavior, molecular weight of the explanted implants, and histological examination. During the 8-month implantation, the value of maximum weight loss was found to be 25%. A continuous decrease in the molecular weight occurred. No remarkable tissue reactions were observed during degradation, and foreign-body reactions were similar to those of silicone rubbers, which are commercially available materials. In this study, we aimed to indicate the likely clinical behavior but good biodegradable properties of PTCL copolymers compared to those of silicone rubber. This may open a new avenue of application for them in the drug industry.

Poly(trimethylene carbonate)-based polymers engineered for biodegradable functional biomaterials

“…The loading of the hydrophobic drug in the micelle core depends on the hydrophobic interaction between the drug and hydrophobic segment when the covalent conjugation of drugs is not exerted, [182][183][184] while the drug release is susceptible to the degradation of the hydrophobic core composed of biodegradable polymers. The advantage of the PTMCbased drug carriers is the slow and moderate degradation of the hydrophobic core, 185,186 promising constant and prolonged release of the drugs loaded. In contrast, PLA-based drug carriers often show an "initial burst" type release profile.…”

Biodegradable cross‐linked poly(1,3‐trimethylene carbonate) networks formed by gamma irradiation under vacuum

“…There are no acidic products in the degradation process and should not cause serious inflammation 13 . PTMC has great potential in biomedical applications, such as drug delivery systems, 14–16 soft tissue engineering, 17,18 vascular prostheses, 19,20 or nerve regenerative systems 21–23 . However, linear PTMC has very low modulus and low tensile strength 24 .…”

Biocompatibility and degradation studies of poly(L-lactide-co-trimethylene carbonate) copolymers as cardiac occluders

“…The toughness of PLLA based copolymers can be improved by copolymerization of L-lactide (L-LA) with other monomers, such as 1,3-trimethylene carbonate (TMC), glycolide (GA), and ε-caprolactone (ε-CL). [15,16] Poly(1,3-trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) is an elastomer with a Tg of -15 o C. [17] PTMC degrades extremely slowly by pure hydrolysis, yielding neutral degradation products, i.e., diols and carbon dioxide. In contrast, PTMC rapidly degrades in vivo by enzyme catalyzed surface erosion.…”