Breakthrough Biodegradable Fluorescent Material

A fluorescent material has been developed by a bioengineering assistant professor, Dr. Yang, at UT Arlington and it has several applications in biomedicine. This material is nontoxic, biodegradable, and has natural fluorescence. These qualities make it capable for use in the body because it will not harm the patient and will eventually disappear. Its fluorescence also makes it a natural choice for a biomarker. The material is an aliphatic biodegradable photoluminescent polymer (BPLP) composed of natural substances which the body will accept, such as citric acid, octanediol, and several different amino acids. Dr. Yang claims it can be used as many different things, for example as an implant material or a repairing template, or for detection, tracking, and sensing applications. One of the more promising uses is as a means to looking inside the body and as a way for doctors to get a better understanding of what is happening. The material is fluorescent so it can be used as a coating for drug-delivery nanoparticles or on scaffolding degeneration and tissue regeneration. It can also be used to help label cancer cells so that they aren’t missed and left behind to spread. Others have attempted to find such a versatile and compatible material but have been unsuccessful in finding something with all the qualities Dr. Yang’s material exhibits.

I believe this is an amazing breakthrough material. It has such a wide range of applications but I think the most beneficial of all is the information it can provide. This material can give us a much better understanding of what is going on within the body. Doctors will be able to track drugs and monitor their effects more easily. There is just so much that this material can do for the biomedical field.

Source: http://www.uta.edu/ucomm/researchmagazine/2010/cancer/biomedical-breakthroughs.php