Prowess in Biomedical Ennineerinn 4, Editor: D.F. Williams. Else~er, Amsterdam, 1987, pp vii + 72, US $63.50

This book is the Proceedings of a Consensus Conference of the European Society for Biomaterials held in Chester, UK, March 1986. The aim of the conference was to define some of theterms used in biomaterials science and it dealt with the subject during the course of four sessions: general bio- materials, blood compatibility, general biocompatibility and inte~acial activity.

The book presents the intr~u~to~ papers given by the four session moderators: ELF. Williams, D. Jozefowicz, T. Albrekktson (deputized by J. Black) and P.O. Glantz respectively. Some other contributions are also recorded. The subsequent chapters reproduce the discussions in each session and in the concluding chapter we are given lists of terms for which definitions were agreed, were provisionally accepted, or were not agreed, and terms to be deprecated.

One would not normally set out to read a dictionary or a standard glossary but this book is more than that in that it takes the reader into the arena in which agreements were produced. It is possible, therefore, to share in the decision-

making process and, to an extent, to conclude whether or not the consensuses are valid. Fashions change, as a survey of implant manufacturers’ catalogues will show, but unless basic concepts are understood future developments will rest on a biodegradable raft rather than on concrete. It is important that these concepts rest on the concrete and do not become entombed in it, but the vigour of the recorded discussions gives every assurance that this will not be so.

This is an important contribution to our science and authors and editors should note carefully what was agreed so that much of the mistatement and confusion of the past may be avoided. The effort put into the conference and the careful work of contributors and particularly of the editor have together produced a text that should be on the shelf of every biomaterials scientist, or better still open on his desk.

G.W. Hastings

Polymers in Medicine III Progress in Biomedical Engineering 5, Editors: C. Migliaresi, 1. Nicolais, P. Giusti and E. Chiellini. Ebevier, Amsterdam, 1988, pp viii + 248. US $94.75

This volume contains the proceedings of the Third Inter- national Conference on Polymers in Medicine held at Port0 Cervo, Italy, 9-l 3 June 1987. The book is a compilation of 22 papers including some by the world’s leading biomedical polymer scientists. It contains articles dealing with the formulation and utilization of bioactive polymers and related composites in the fields of biomaterials, polymeric drugs and drug delivery systems. The book is divided into 2 parts.

Part 1 consists of papers about the synthesis and development of new polymeric materials for medical use. Among these, a new system is proposed which is obtained by the interconnection between a commercial polyurethane and a poly(amidoamine). This polymeric system is able to form stable bounds with heparin. New bioresorbable polyesters and polyjetheresters) are also proposed for producing a variety of biodegradable polymers exhibiting a wide range of mechanical properties and biodegradation kinetics. Original tertiary amino polymers are also described. A very interesting paper concerns the surface characterization of biomedical materials by combining Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA) and Static Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). The problem of protein adsorption into hemodialysis membranes is also discussed.

Part 2 is a ‘melting pot’ of the use of different polymers and polymeric systems for the delivery of drugs. A very ingenious development is the pr~uction of thermally reversible hydrogels synthesized from polymers which phase-separate from aqueous solutions when the temperature is raised through a critical range. These polymers may be used for delivery of drugs and biomolecules as well as for immobilization of enzymes and antibodies. The paper by

Heller et al. dealing with the development of self-regulated drug delivery devices is also an excellent illustration of the actual tendency in developing both modulated and triggered delivery systems.

More traditional are the tailoring of lactide/glycolide copolymers for drug delivery or the synthesis of polymeric pro-drugs for which drug release is effected by the cleavage of a chemical bond. In this field, potential biocompatibili~ of N-vinylpyrollidone and maleic anhydride copolymers used as polymeric pro-drug systems is very well discussed and illustrated by beautiful autoradiographs.

Other systems proposed include the preparation of inserts made with different partial esters of maleic acid- alkylvinylether alternating copolymers for the sustained ocular delivery of pilocarpine. The interest of polymers for the formulation of swellable matrices for tablets is also mentioned.

The principal merit of the book is the interdisciplinary approach to the synthesis, formulation, characterization and medical utilization of bioactive polymers. However, although the volume describes some applications for the delivery of drugs, it seems curiously lacking in information about the well-known use of polymers in the field of drug targetting by means of colloidal polymeric devices. Such information could have made the book more complete since this approach arouses increasing interest. Another, perhaps unavoidable, limitation is that the information is now 11 years old. Nevertheless, the articles in this book provide a useful source of reference for scientists of different disciplines involved with polymers and their medical uses.

P. Couvreur

216 Biometerials 1989, Vol 10 April