Polysaccharide-based layer-by-layer nanoarchitectonics with sulfated chitosan for tuning anti-thrombogenic properties

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Surface Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Blood-interacting surfaces are essential for medical devices like implants and biosensors.
• Thrombosis, or blood clot formation, is a major challenge with current polymer-based biomaterials.
• Strategies to limit platelet adhesion and activation are needed to improve blood compatibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and functionalize hyaluronan (HA)/chitosan (Chi) based-films with sulfated chitosan (ChiS).
• To evaluate the anti-thrombogenic properties and physicochemical characteristics of the modified films.
• To investigate the potential of these novel films for blood-contacting applications.

Main Methods:

• Layer-by-layer technique used to deposit sulfated chitosan (ChiS) onto HA/Chi films.
• Physicochemical characterization via FTIR, XPS, AFM, and contact angle measurements.
• Biological assays conducted to assess platelet adhesion and activation.

Main Results:

• ChiS functionalization decreased film roughness and hydrophilicity.
• Sulfur presence confirmed successful modification of the HA/Chi films.
• Significantly reduced platelet adhesion observed on ChiS-functionalized films compared to native HA/Chi films.

Conclusions:

• Sulfated chitosan functionalization imparts significant anti-thrombogenic properties to HA/Chi films.
• These modified films show reduced protein adsorption and limited calcification.
• The developed antithrombogenic biomaterials offer new possibilities for blood-contacting medical devices.