Chapter 3:Cellulose and Its Derivatives in Medical Use

This chapter presents a review of cellulose and its derivatives used for medical, biotechnology and related applications. The cellulosic material covered includes micricrystalline cellulose, regenerated cellulose, and cellulose ethers and esters. The applications covered include hemodialysis, removal of pathogen in blood products, cellulosic adsorbents for purification of biopharmaceuticals, blood purification, and chiral separation, excipients for drugs, and some other medical applications. In most cases, the biological inertness, mechanical strength, and good availability are the key properties of cellulosics. However, its specific adsorption properties are important in some uses.