ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the degradability of polymers which contain peptidic bonds in their structure. Polymers used in medicine can be divided into two groups: polymers which are introduced into an organism for long-term or even for a lifetime, and polymers whose presence is transient. The hydroxylic group of serine forms a hydrogen bond with the nitrogen atom of the imidazole nucleus of histidine. Changes in the conformation of the protein molecule affect the steric factor and thus also the rate of degradation of the peptide bond. By reacting polymeric precursors with amines it is possible to prepare polymers modeling a polymeric drug bound by an enzymatically degradable bond. Bond cleavage in sequences joining two polymer chains models cleavage of the main chain. Biodegradation of the main chain facilitates the elimination of the polymer from the organism.
