TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE POLYMERIC COMPOUND, ITS PRODUCTION, TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE POLYMER COMPOSITION, AND CELL CULTURE SUBSTRATE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a polymeric compound having temperature sensitivity and improved compatibility with polyisopropylacrylamides without detriment to the inherent excellent properties, such as cell adhesiveness, of the constituent gelatin by subjecting gelatin and an N-isopropylacrylamide polymer to a graft polymerization. SOLUTION: Gelatin is condensed with 4-(N,N-diethyldithiocarbamyl)benzoic acid in the presence of a condensing agent to obtain dithiocarbamated gelatin molecules. A mixed aqueous solution containing these molecules and N- propylacrylamide is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to obtain a temperature- sensitive polymeric compound composed of gelatin and a homopolymer of N- isopropylacrylamide grafted thereonto and having an average graft chain length of 2.1×10<3> or above. The heat-sensitive polymeric compound is combined with an N-isopropylacrylamide polymer to obtain a temperature-sensitive polymer composition. An aqueous solution of this composition is applied to a culture dish and dried to obtain a cell culture substrate.