KansaiUniversity

Japanese

KU SMART PROJECT

“Human-friendly materials that reach the target lesion”Medical polymers that enable non-invasive and smart diagnosis and care

Development of medical polymer "acting on bones" IWASAKI, Yasuhiko, Professor, Faculty of Chemistry, Materials and Bioengineering

As the world’s population continues to age, it is becoming increasingly important to innovate medical and healthcare technology, in order to enable elderly people to live vibrant and independent lives. It is particularly essential to develop safe and reliable medical devices and drugs. As people get older, they become increasingly prone to bone diseases. Osteoporosis in particular, is akin to a national malady. As many as 10 million people in Japan suffer from osteoporosis (just shy of 10% of the total population), and over half of the people aged more than 70 have this condition. The skeleton retains its structure and functions through a continual process of bone metabolism (bone remodeling). Three types of cells are involved in bone remodeling: osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and osteocytes. Osteoblasts form bone, osteoclasts remove bone, and osteocytes embedded in the bone matrix are thought to significantly influence the behavior of osteoclasts and osteoblasts. (Figure A). Osteoporosis occurs when the bone remodeling cycle gets out of kilter. This can happen for a number of reasons, including aging, hormonal imbalance, unhealthy lifestyle, medication, or as a complication of another disease.

FigureA
Diminishing the activity of osteoclasts using polymers (polyphosphoesters) synthesized by imitating nucleic acid
FigureB
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