一、課程簡介:　學分數：3 學分
Biodegradable (and/or bioabsorbable) biomaterials are widely used in sutures, bone plates, guiding of growth of tissues, drug delivery systems and other types of prostheses. In drug delivery systems, such polymers offer the great advantage of enabling site-specific or systemic administration of pharmaceutical agents without the need for subsequent retrieval of the delivery system. This course will provide a board spectrum of biodegradable polymers, ranging from synthesis, characterization, manufacturing… to medical applications. It will be useful to students who are new to the field and would like to understand more about the various properties and medical applications of biodegradable polymers.

課程內容：包括
　1. Introduction: Classification and mechanisms of biodegradation.
　2. Biodegradable polyesters: Lactide/glycolide polymers
　3. Biodegradable polyesters and tissue engineering
　4. Polyanhydrides
　5. Poly--Caprolactone and its copolymers
　6. Poly(ortho esters)
　7. Polyphosphazenes as new biomedical and bioactive materials
　8. Pseudopoly(amino acids)
　9. Natural biodegradable polymers: Albumin, collagen, and chitin/chitosan
10. Collagen and artificial skin
11. Liposome: Preparation and characterization
　12. Medical applications of liposomes: Drug delivery and gene therapy

二、先修課程:無

三、參考書目:
1. Chasin M and Langer R: Biodegradable Polymers as Drug Delivery Systems. Marcel Dekker, 1990, New York.
2. Hollinger JO: Biomedical Applications of Synthetic Biodegradable Polymers. CRC Press, 1995, Boca Raton
3. Lanza RP, Langer R and Vacanti J: Principles of Tissue Engineering. Academic Press, 2000, San Diego.