Polymers are gaining ever-growing importance in medical research and development, both for their material properties and as conjugates. Although the development of novel materials and applications continues, the focus of research has shifted to the mechanisms of action and interaction of the new materials. This recent understanding has enabled scientists to design and tailor the properties of their products for increasingly specific purposes. 'Polymers in Medicine' was the title of the 40th Microsymposium of the Prague Meetings on Macromolecules. It brought together experts from academia and industry to discuss the application of polymers to biomedical science. This volume of Macromolecular Symposia presents many of the lectures from the meeting and offers an excellent overview of current research in this field.