Abstract

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are natural polymers produced by bacteria under nutrient limiting conditions. These polymers have been produced using a range of bacteria and carbon sources. These polymers are biodegradable and biocompatible in nature and hence can be used in a variety of medical applications including tissue engineering, wound healing, drug delivery and in the production of coronary artery stents. In the context of tissue engineering, due to their varied mechanical properties and degradation rates PHAs can be used to replace a range of tissue types including bone, cartilage, cardiac, nerve and skin. Similarly, in the area of drug delivery, the varied properties lead to their potential applications in both short term and long term controlled drug delivery. In addition, PHAs can be used for the production of novel drug eluting biodegradable stents. This study describes extensive research in to the application of PHAs in all these varied applications, exploring the huge potential of these polymers. Basnett P., Kyon Y.C., Stolz M., Knowles J. C., Boccaccini A.R., Smith C., Locke C.I., Keshavarz T., Roy I. 2013 “Novel Poly (3-hydroxyoctanoate)/ Poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) blends for Medical Application” Reactive and Functional Polymers, 73:1340–1348 Rai R., Keshavarz T. , Roether J. A., Boccaccini A. R., Roy I. 2010; “Medium chain length polyhydroxyalkanoates, promising new biomedical materials for the future.” Material Science Engineering (Reviews) 73(3): 29-47 Philip, S. Keshavarz, T., Roy I. 2007 Polyhydroxyalkanoates: biodegradable polymers with a range of applications. Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology 82 (3):233-247 Valappil S.P., Misra S.K., Boccaccini A.R., Roy I. 2006; “Biomedical applications of Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), an overview of animal testing and in vivo responses.” Expert Review in Medical Devices 3(6): 853-868