Polyhydroxyalkanoates : A Family of Natural Polymers , for Medical Implant Development and Disease Modelling

Statement of Purpose: Polyhydroxyalkanoates or PHAs are a family of naturally occurring intracellular polymers synthesized by a variety of microorganisms. PHAs can be broadly classified into two types such as short chain length PHAs (scl-PHAs), containing 3-5 carbon atoms and medium chain length PHAs (mcl-PHAs) containing 6-14 carbon atoms within their monomer units. Their physical properties differ based on their type. Scl-PHAs, except for Poly(4-hydroxybutyrate) are brittle, stiff and have a high melting point and glass transition temperature, whereas mcl-PHAs are soft, elastomeric and have low crystallinity, melting point and glass transition temperature. PHAs are known to be biocompatible and biodegradable in nature. They degrade into non-toxic byproducts via surface erosion thereby maintaining its bulk properties. They are currently being explored for several biomedical applications such as medical devices, tissue engineering and drug delivery systems1,2,3. In this study, a range of novel PHAs were produced, characterized and used for 3 different medical applications such as – (1) Development of coronary artery stents, (2) Nerve guidance conduits and (3) Cancer disease modelling.