Carbamate, thiocarbamate or carbamide comprising a biomolecular moiety

1. A compound comprising (a) at least two polymerizable moieties, (b) at least one amino acid residue of an amino acid, the amino acid comprising at least two amine groups, wherein the at least two amine groups of the amino acid have formed a carbamate, a thiocarbamate or a carbamide group, and (c) a biomolecular moiety Z linked directly or via a spacer to a carboxylic acid moiety of the amino acid residue, and wherein the compound is represented by Formula I:

wherein

G is a residue of a —OH, —NH 2 , —RNH or SH multifunctional polymer or oligomer selected from the group consisting of polyesters, polythioesters, polyorthoesters, polyamides, polythioethers, polyanhydrides and polydioxanones, wherein R is as defined below, or G is an X as defined below;

each X independently represents a moiety comprising a group that is polymerizable by radical reaction selected from the group consisting of acrylates, alkylacrylates, methacrylates, alkylmethacrylates, vinylethers, fumarates, and vinylsulphones;

each Y independently represents, O, S or NR;

each R independently represents hydrogen or a group selected from substituted and unsubstituted hydrocarbons which optionally contain one or more heteroatoms;

L represents a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon that optionally contains one or more heteroatoms;

n is an integer having a value of 1 if G is an X, and n is at least 2 if G represents a residue of the multifunctional polymer or oligomer; and

Z is a biomolecular moiety linked directly or via a spacer to the remainder of the compound.

2. A compound according to claim 1 , wherein Z is selected from the group consisting of amino acid residues; peptide residues; carbohydrate residues and nucleotide residues.

3. A compound according to claim 2 , wherein Z is selected from a signalling moiety for a cell, a moiety for promoting cell adhesion to the compound, a moiety for controlling cell growth, an antithrombotic moiety, a stimulator for wound healing, a stimulator for the nervous system and an antimicrobial moiety.

4. A compound according to claim 1 , wherein L represents a linear or branched C3-C8 alkyl.

5. A compound according to claim 1 , wherein the NR-L(C═O)—NR moiety of Formula I represents the residue of a lysine moiety a diaminopropionic acid moiety, a hydroxyllysine moiety, a N-alpha-methylated lysine, or a diaminobutanoic acid moiety.

6. A polymer comprising a reaction product of a formulation comprising the compound according to claim 1 .

7. A method for preparing a compound according to claim 1 , comprising the step of first reacting a compound of Formula III:

wherein R is hydrogen or a protecting group,

with a compound of the formula X-Y-H, if G is and X, or if G is not an X, a compound of the formula G-Y-H, wherein the hydrogen or the protecting group of R in Formula III is selectively removed to covalently attach the biomolecular moiety directly or via a spacer to the carboxylic acid moiety attached to L.

8. A method for preparing a polymer comprising the step of polymerizing a compound according to claim 1 .

9. An article comprising the polymer according to claim 6 .

10. An article comprising a polymer that is a reaction product of a formulation comprising two different compounds according to claim 1 that differ at least by biomolecular moiety Z.

11. An article according to claim 9 , wherein the article is selected from the group consisting of microspheres, nanospheres, implants, hydrogels, and artificial body tissues.

12. An article according to claim 9 , wherein the article is biocompatible.

13. An article according to claim 9 , comprising a surface having at least first and second selected areas each comprised of reaction products of first and second compounds according to claim 1 , respectively, wherein the reaction products of the first and second compounds differ from one another at least by bimolecular moiety Z.

14. A method for preparing an article comprising the steps of:

(a) providing an article comprising a polymer, the polymer being a reaction product of a formulation comprising a compound represented by Formula II:

wherein R is a protecting group or hydrogen;

G is a residue of a —OH, —NH 2 , —RNH, or —SH multifunctional polymer and oligomer selected from the group consisting of polyesters, polythioesters, polyorthoesters, polyamides, polythioethers, polyanhydrides and polydioxanones, or G is an X as defined below;

each X independently represents a moiety comprising a group that is polymerizable by radical reaction selected from the group consisting of acrylates, alkylacrylates, methacrylates, alkylmethacrylates, vinylethers, fumarates, and vinylsulphones;

each Y independently represents, O, S or NR;

L represents a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon that optionally contains one or more heteroatoms;

n is an integer having a value of 1 if G is an X, and n is at least 2 if G represents a residue of the multifunctional polymer or oligomer; and

(b) selectively removing the hydrogen or protecting group at the area at which biomolecular moiety is to be bound; and

(c) covalently attaching the biomolecular moiety directly or via a spacer to the carboxylic acid moiety.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the protecting group is a photocleavable group, and wherein the step of selectively removing the protecting group is accomplished by selectively irradiating the surface of the polymer with electromagnetic radiation.

16. A formulation comprising the compound according to claim 1 and a photoinitiator.

17. A formulation comprising the compound according to claim 2 and a photoinitiator.

18. A formulation comprising the compound according to claim 1 and a photoinitiator, wherein the biomolecular moiety z is a peptide residue.

19. An article formed by polymerizing the formulation according to claim 17 .

20. An article formed by polymerizing the formulation according to claim 18 .