Polymeric Materials and Methods

• US 20080317861A1
• Filed: 02/24/2006
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Guan, Zhibin
• Granted Patent: US 9,238,697 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 424/488
• CPC Class Codes: C08B 37/006 Heteroglycans, i.e. polysaccharides having more than one sugar residue in the main chain in either alternating or less regular sequence; Gellans; Succinoglycans; Arabinogalactans; Tragacanth or gum tragacanth or traganth from Astragalus; Gum Karaya from Sterculia urens; Gum Ghatti from Anogeissus latifolia; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 11/10 the carrier being a carbohydrate

Abstract

Chimeric polymer compositions and methods are provided in which a plurality of carbohydrate moieties and amino acids form the backbone of a polymer. Most preferably, the polymer includes alternating saccharide and peptide portions to form the chimeric polymer.

Claims

1. A chimeric polymer having a structure according to Formula I:

[(M)_x1(N)_y1]_z1[(M)_x2(N)_y2]_z2 

 

Formula I

wherein M is independently a carbohydrate moiety, and N is independently an amino acid;

wherein x1, x2, y1, y2, z1, and z2 are independently an integer between 1 and 10000, inclusive,

wherein x1 is optionally null when y2 is greater or equal to 1, and wherein y2 is optionally null when X1 is greater or equal to 1; and

wherein the carbohydrate moiety and the amino acid are coupled to each other such that the carbohydrate moiety and the amino acid for a backbone of the polymer.

2. The chimeric polymer of claim 1 wherein at least one of x1 and x2 is an integer between 2 and 20.

3. The chimeric polymer of claim 1 wherein at least one of y1 and y2 is an integer between 2 and 20.

4. The chimeric polymer of claim 1 wherein a plurality of N form an amino acid backbone, and wherein the amino acid backbone is formed via a covalent bond between one of an alpha, beta, gamma, or epsilon amino group of an amino acid and one of an alpha, beta, and gamma carboxylate group of a second amino acid.

5. The chimeric polymer of claim 1 wherein the carbohydrate is covalently coupled to the amino acid via an amide bond.

6. The chimeric polymer of claim 1 wherein at least one of the carbohydrate moieties is a cyclic carbohydrate.

7. The chimeric polymer of claim 1 wherein at least one of the carbohydrate moieties is an acyclic carbohydrate.

8. The chimeric polymer of claim 1 wherein at least one of the amino acids is a non-naturally occurring amino acid.

9. The chimeric polymer of claim 1 wherein at least one of M and N comprises a crosslinking functionality, and wherein the crosslinking functionality is covalently bound to another crosslinking functionality of another chimeric polymer to thereby form a crosslinked polymer.

10. The chimeric polymer of claim 1 wherein at least one of M and N comprises a crosslinking functionality, and wherein the crosslinking functionality is bound to another crosslinking functionality of another chimeric polymer through at least one of an ionic bond, a hydrogen bond, a disulfide bond, and a hydrophobic interaction to thereby form a crosslinked polymer.

11. The chimeric polymer of any of claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the crosslinked polymer is a hydrogel that optionally includes at least one of a pharmaceutical agent and a cell.

12. The chimeric polymer of claim 1 wherein the polymer is formulated in a formulation suitable for at least one of implantation, injection, topical, mucosal, and oral administration.

13. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the chimeric polymer of claim 1 and a pharmaceutically active agent, wherein the pharmaceutically active agent is optionally covalently attached to the polymer.

14. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 13 wherein the pharmaceutically active agent is encapsulated in a matrix formed by the polymer.

15. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 13 wherein the pharmaceutically active agent is a peptide, and wherein at least one of (N)_y1 and (N)_y2 comprises the pharmaceutically active agent.

16. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 13 wherein the polymer has a composition that is suitable for biodegradation to thereby release the pharmacologically active agent.

17. A cell-containing structure comprising the chimeric polymer of claim 1.

18. The cell-containing structure of claim 17 wherein the chimeric polymer is crosslinked with at least one other chimeric polymer.

19. The cell-containing structure of claim 18 wherein the chimeric polymer is part of a hydrogel that is formed by a plurality of other chimeric polymers.

20. The cell-containing structure of claim 17 wherein the chimeric polymer comprises a cell adhesion enhancer that is covalently bound to the chimeric polymer.

21. The cell-containing structure of claim 17 wherein the structure is configured as an implant.