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Biological responses to cationically charged phosphorylcholine-based materials in vitro
S F Susanna F Rose1, A L Andrew L Lewis, G W Geoffrey W Hanlon
1Biomedical Materials Research Group, School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Brighton, Moulsecoomb, Brighton BN2 4GJ, UK.
Biomaterials
|April 28, 2004
Summary
Adding cationic charge to phosphorylcholine (PC)-based polymers increases protein adsorption and cell adhesion, potentially enhancing medical device integration. However, this effect is not directly proportional to the charge concentration.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Biocompatibility Research
Background:
- Phosphorylcholine (PC)-based polymers are widely used in medical devices for their biocompatibility, characterized by low protein adsorption and inflammatory response.
- While reduced cell adhesion is typical for PC polymers, some applications benefit from enhanced cell interaction for better host integration.
- Previous research suggests that incorporating positive charges can promote cell adhesion to material surfaces.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of varying concentrations of cationic charge on PC-based polymers.
- To evaluate the biological responses, including protein adsorption, cell adhesion, and inflammatory cell activation, to these modified polymers.
- To understand how cationic modification influences the performance of PC-based biomaterials.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of PC-based polymers with varying concentrations of cationic monomers.
- In vitro assays to quantify protein adsorption onto polymer surfaces.
- Cell adhesion studies using mouse fibroblasts, rabbit corneal epithelial cells, and human immune cells (mononuclear cells and granulocytes).
Main Results:
- Unmodified PC polymers demonstrated significantly reduced protein adsorption, cell adhesion, and inflammatory cell activation, confirming existing literature.
- The introduction of cationic charge to PC polymers led to an increase in protein adsorption, cell adhesion, and inflammatory cell activation.
- The observed increase in these biological responses did not show a linear correlation with the concentration of the cationic monomer.
Conclusions:
- Cationic modification of PC polymers alters their biological interaction profile, increasing protein adsorption and cell adhesion.
- The non-linear response suggests complex interactions between charge density, protein adsorption, cytotoxicity, and polymer stability.
- These findings offer insights for designing advanced PC-based biomaterials with tailored cell-interactive properties for specific medical device applications.