GLYCOSAMINOGLYCAN-POLYCATION COMPLEX CROSSLINKED BY POLYFUNCTIONAL CROSSLINKING AGENT AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING THE SAME

摘要

In a conventional process for producing a glycosaminoglycan-polycation complex to be used in producing tissue regeneration matrixes for cartilage, etc., a crosslinking reaction is carried out in an alcohol or water. Therefore, it is feared that an injectable crosslinked biological substance might exert an undesirable effect cell death on cells and tissues. Moreover, a polyion complex a non-homogeneous precipitate is formed in this case. A glycosaminoglycan-polycation complex is formed by crosslinking glycosaminoglycan and polycation under physiological conditions with the use of 0.3 to 3 mM of a crosslinking agent which has two or more electrophilic leaving groups for example, succinimidyl group or its derivative at the carboxyl end of polyethylene glycol. Since the synthesis can be carried out under physiological conditions, the crosslinking can be achieved by preliminarily mixing the cells.