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Aptamer supported in vitro endothelialization of poly(ether imide) films
Christian Schulz1, Anne Krüger-Genge1, Friedrich Jung1,2
1Institute of Biomaterial Science and Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Teltow, Germany.
Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation
|January 28, 2020
Summary
Functionalizing poly(ether imide) films with aptamer-cRGD peptides significantly improved endothelial cell attachment and shear resistance for vascular grafts. This enhances hemocompatibility, reducing risks of thrombotic events and intimal hyperplasia in synthetic grafts.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Cardiovascular Engineering
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Synthetic vascular grafts face failure due to poor hemocompatibility, leading to thrombosis and intimal hyperplasia.
- Endothelialization is a promising strategy to create anti-thrombotic graft surfaces, but achieving shear-resistant monolayers remains difficult.
- Poly(ether imide) (PEI) films show cyto- and immuno-compatibility but exhibit delayed endothelial cell adherence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance the hemocompatibility of poly(ether imide) (PEI) films for cardiovascular applications.
- To accelerate the initial adherence and improve the shear resistance of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) on PEI surfaces.
- To evaluate the efficacy of an aptamer-cRGD peptide system for functionalizing biomaterial surfaces for improved endothelialization.
Main Methods:
- Exploration of poly(ether imide) (PEI) films as a biomaterial for cardiovascular applications.
- Functionalization of PEI films with an aptamer-cRGD peptide based system to support endothelialization.
- In vitro assessment of initial HUVEC adherence and shear resistance on modified and unmodified PEI films.
Main Results:
- The aptamer-cRGD peptide functionalization considerably improved the initial adherence of HUVEC on PEI films compared to unmodified surfaces.
- The functionalized PEI films demonstrated significantly enhanced shear resistance of the HUVEC monolayer.
- The study confirmed the broad applicability of aptamers for efficient substrate surface functionalization.
Conclusions:
- Aptamer-cRGD peptide functionalization is an effective strategy to accelerate endothelial cell adherence and improve shear resistance on PEI films.
- This approach holds significant potential for developing more hemocompatible synthetic vascular grafts.
- Aptamer-based surface functionalization offers a versatile method for enhancing biomaterial performance in cardiovascular applications.
