48] Application of immobilized enzymes for biomaterials used in surgery

Abstract

This chapter discusses the application of immobilized enzymes for biomaterials used in surgery. The chapter investigates the replacement of various organs with this new material experimentally and clinically, including reconstruction of the trachea, chest wall, and diaphragm in the field of thoracic surgery. With the development of techniques for binding enzymes to insoluble supports, immobilized enzymes are recently utilized in various types of medical applications, especially in clinical analysis and also in therapeutic medicine. This collagen-synthetic polymer composite material is applied as a support for the immobilization of enzymes to establish its biological functions on the surface of the material, and enzymes are successfully bound to the collagen membrane layer by activation of carboxyl groups. Trypsin and urokinase are chosen with the intention of adding proteolytic (antiinflammatory) and fibrinolytic (thromboresistant) activities, respectively, to the surface properties of the composite material. Lysozyme and a peptide antibiotic, polymyxin B, are bound onto the material for the purpose of producing bacteriolytic and antibacterial biomaterials to prevent serious problems caused by bacterial infection from occurring when artificial organs and biomaterials are implanted into the body. The chapter describes the novel method of producing this enzyme-bound collagen-synthetic polymer composite material, and discusses the enzymatic characterization and several in vivo experiments made with the material carrying immobilized enzymes.