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What is Hyaluronan?
Hyaluronan is a polysaccharide of the glycosaminoglycans class. It is a unique
biopolymer which is found in all tissues and body fluids in every mammalian species
as well as in some bacteria.
Interest in hyaluronan has increased greatly in recent years with major
clinical applications in ophthalmology, in the treatment of degenerative joint
disease, and in adhesion prevention after surgery.
It is unusually lubricious and hydrophilic. In the body, it lubricates the
joints (synovial fluid) and separates most surfaces that slide over each
other (tendons, sheaths).
Medical-grade hyaluronan is produced on a commercial scale by a dozen or more
companies in the U.S., Sweden, Canada, Italy, Israel, and Japan.
Hyaluronan lends itself to cross-linking and immobilizing in various ways to
produce hydrophilic, lubricious, and biocompatible surfaces which the body
perceives as inert when implanted.
Derivatizing and complexing hyaluronan with other substances makes it possible
to create bioactive (e.g. anti-thrombogenic, anti-bacterial) surfaces.
Reference:
The Chemistry, Biology and Medical Applications of Hyaluronan and its Derivatives, ed. T. C.
Laurent, Wenner-Gren International Series Vol. 72, Portland
Press, London
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