The crosslinking agents and condensing agents that have been employed in
biological adhesives and in treating medical devices such as cardiac
valves are non-natural compounds synthesized artificially. Thus, they are
not metabolized in vivo and exhibit toxicity to living bodies. These
compounds are thus used only in a restricted amount and for limited
purposes in the clinical sites. The present invention provides a
biological low-molecular-weight derivative obtained by modifying carboxyl
groups of a biological low-molecular-weight compound with
N-hydroxysuccinimide, N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide, or a derivative thereof
and a crosslinked high-molecular-weight product obtained by crosslinking
various high-molecular-weight compounds with this derivative.