STRINGS of aspirin molecules linked together in long chains could eliminate
the painkiller’s nasty effect on the stomach. What’s more, these chains could be
fashioned into everything from soluble stitches to anti-inflammatory coatings
for pins, screws and other surgical implants.
Millions of people take aspirin to fight headaches, fend off strokes and
heart attacks, and ease the pain of arthritis. But the drug’s key ingredient,
salicylic acid, is released in the stomach, where it eats away at the
lining.
A polymer made of aspirin, however, should not dissolve until it reaches the
intestine, where the salicylic acid can be absorbed…
