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High-throughput Identification of Bacteria Repellent Polymers for Medical Devices
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Self-Cross-Linkable Maleic Anhydride Terpolymer Coating with Inherent High Antimicrobial Activity and Low
Ling Zhou1, Weihua Zhang1, Changwen Zhao1
1State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|October 2, 2023
Summary
A new maleic anhydride terpolymer coating for silicone rubber medical devices shows excellent antimicrobial properties against bacteria and low cytotoxicity. This durable coating effectively prevents infections without needing extra antibacterial agents.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biomedical Engineering
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Medical device-associated infections are a significant clinical challenge.
- Developing effective antimicrobial coatings is crucial for preventing these infections.
- Existing coatings often face issues with durability, cytotoxicity, or require additional antibacterial agents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize a novel maleic anhydride terpolymer (PPTM) coating for silicone rubber (SR).
- To evaluate the antimicrobial activity, durability, and cytotoxicity of the cross-linked coating (SPM).
- To assess the potential of this coating for preventing medical device-associated infections.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of maleic anhydride terpolymer (PPTM) and its covalent attachment to silicone rubber (SR).
- Cross-linking of the PPTM coating to form the SPM coating via self-condensation.
- Mechanical testing (bending cycles, water immersion) and friction force measurements.
- Antimicrobial efficacy testing against *Staphylococcus aureus* and *Escherichia coli*.
- Cytotoxicity assessment using L929 cells.
Main Results:
- The SPM coating demonstrated excellent mechanical stability, with no cracks or delamination after 500 bending cycles and 7-day water immersion.
- A 50% reduction in catheter sliding friction force was observed.
- The SPM coating exhibited potent antimicrobial activity, killing 99.99% of *S. aureus* and *E. coli* without added antibacterial agents.
- The coating maintained 87.3% of its bactericidal activity after 5 disinfection cycles.
- SPM showed low cytotoxicity, with >85% cell viability after 36h co-culture, outperforming an antimicrobial peptide-conjugated coating.
Conclusions:
- The maleic anhydride-containing terpolymer forms a flexible, durable, and highly effective antimicrobial coating on silicone rubber.
- This SPM coating presents a promising strategy for preventing medical device-associated infections with inherent antimicrobial properties and low cytotoxicity.
- The terpolymer holds significant potential for developing advanced anti-infective implantable devices.
