Witzdam Lena, Meurer Yannick L, Garay-Sarmiento Manuela, Vorobii Mariia, Söder Dominik, Quandt Jonas, Haraszti Tamás, Rodriguez-Emmenegger Cesar
DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstraße 50, Aachen, 52074, Germany.
Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 2, Aachen, 52074, Germany.
Macromol Biosci. 2022 May;22(5):e2200025. doi: 10.1002/mabi.202200025. Epub 2022 Feb 23.
Interfacing artificial materials with biological tissues remains a challenge. The direct contact of their surface with the biological milieu results in multiscale interactions, in which biomacromolecules adsorb and act as transducers mediating the interactions with cells and tissues. So far, only antifouling polymer brushes have been able to conceal the surface of synthetic materials. However, their complex synthesis has precluded their translation to applications. Here, it is shown that ultrathin surface-attached hydrogel coatings of N-(2-hydroxypropyl) methacrylamide (HPMA) and carboxybetaine methacrylamide (CBMAA) provide the same level of protection as brushes. In spite of being readily applicable, these coatings prevent the fouling from whole blood plasma and provide a barrier to the adhesion of Gram positive and negative bacteria. The analysis of the components of the surface free energy and nanoindentation experiments reveals that the excellent antifouling properties stem from the strong surface hydrophilicity and the presence of a brush-like structure at the water interface. Moreover, these coatings can be functionalized to achieve antimicrobial activity while remaining stealth and non-cytotoxic to eukaryotic cells. Such level of performance is previously only achieved with brushes. Thus, it is anticipated that this readily applicable strategy is a promising route to enhance the biocompatibility of real biomedical devices.
使人工材料与生物组织相连接仍然是一项挑战。它们的表面与生物环境直接接触会导致多尺度相互作用，其中生物大分子吸附并充当介导与细胞和组织相互作用的传感器。到目前为止，只有防污聚合物刷能够掩盖合成材料的表面。然而，其复杂的合成过程阻碍了它们向应用的转化。在此表明，N-（2-羟丙基）甲基丙烯酰胺（HPMA）和羧基甜菜碱甲基丙烯酰胺（CBMAA）的超薄表面附着水凝胶涂层提供了与刷相同水平的保护。尽管易于应用，但这些涂层可防止全血血浆的污染，并为革兰氏阳性和阴性细菌的粘附提供屏障。对表面自由能成分的分析和纳米压痕实验表明，优异的防污性能源于强表面亲水性以及在水界面处存在类似刷的结构。此外，这些涂层可以功能化以实现抗菌活性，同时对真核细胞保持隐形和无细胞毒性。这种性能水平以前仅通过刷实现。因此，预计这种易于应用的策略是增强实际生物医学设备生物相容性的一条有前途的途径。
