Novel copper complexes-polyurethane composites that mimics anti-inflammatory response.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Copper is a biologically significant trace element.
• Thiol-containing compounds can chelate copper.
• These complexes can be utilized as fillers in biomedical polyurethanes.

Purpose of the Study:

• Synthesize segmented polyurethanes (SPUs) using thiol-containing compounds as chain extenders.
• Incorporate copper chelates into the synthesized SPUs.
• Evaluate the properties and biological performance of the resulting copper-filled polyurethanes.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of SPUs with d-penicillamine (DP), l-penicillamine (LP), l-cysteine (LC), and reduced glutathione (GR) as chain extenders.
• Preparation of copper chelates with these chain extenders and their incorporation into SPUs.
• Characterization using FTIR, Raman, EDX, DSC, DRX, DMA, and TGA.
• Assessment of macrophage viability and anti-inflammatory response (IL-4, IL-10, IL-1β, TNF-α).

Main Results:

• EDX confirmed the presence of sulfur and copper in the composites.
• DSC and DRX indicated a semi-crystalline nature, leading to good mechanical properties, especially with DP.
• DMA showed increased glass transition temperature (T_g) of PCL with copper complexes.
• TGA revealed slightly improved thermal degradation for LCCu and GRCu composites.
• High macrophage viability was observed for LCCu and GRCu composites.
• LC and GR copper complex-filled polyurethanes demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects by increasing IL-4 and IL-10 while decreasing IL-1β and TNF-α.

Conclusions:

• Copper-filled polyurethanes synthesized with thiol-containing compounds exhibit promising mechanical and thermal characteristics.
• These materials demonstrate good biocompatibility, evidenced by high macrophage viability.
• The incorporation of copper complexes induces a significant anti-inflammatory response, highlighting their potential for biomedical applications.