New Method to Obtain Polymers

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Description A researcher at the University of Iowa has developed a new method of obtaining polymers that can be used as part of an oral formulation to treat pathologies present in the oral cavity. This is including, but not limited to oral mucositis, periodontal disease, fungal infections, and oral cancer. Furthermore, these polymers may be incorporated into guided tissue regeneration (GTR) films used in oral surgery to regenerate tissues in the oral cavity. Our technology can be used to covalently bond pharmaceutical agents (antimicrobials, anticancer agents, etc.) for the delayed release of the agents in the oral cavity.            Background Information Muco adhesion can be defined as the ability of a material, synthetic or biological, to adhere to a biological tissue for an extended period. Mucoadhesive polymers have been widely used to develop polymeric dosage forms for oral drug delivery. Specifically, these polymers are used in the treatment of oral mucositis. Oral mucositis is the painful inflammation and ulceration that occurs in the mouth. This is a common and often debilitating complication of cancer treatment of head and neck cancers. In fact, mucositis affects up to 500,000 patients per year in the U.S. and is considered by patients as the most troubling side effect of cancer treatment. To date, no drug has been developed for solid tumours, an area of high unmet medical needs. Benefits More effective treatment of oral cavity conditions; Technology can be used to covalently bond pharmaceutical agents for the delayed release in the oral cavity.