Zwitterionic hydrogel designs for conducting polymers enable bioelectronics with suppressed foreign body responses

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Immunology
• Materials Chemistry

Background:

• The foreign body response (FBR) hinders long-term function of implantable devices by causing fibrotic encapsulation.
• Conducting polymers like PEDOT:PSS are promising for biointerfaces but still face FBR challenges.
• Overcoming FBR is crucial for developing advanced biosensors and electrophysiological devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an immunocompatible conducting polymer system for implantable electronic devices.
• To investigate a zwitteronic-hydrogel-based double-network design for PEDOT:PSS.
• To evaluate the impact of this design on FBR suppression and electrical conductivity.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a zwitteronic-hydrogel-based double-network PEDOT:PSS.
• In vivo assessment of FBR suppression using histological and cellular analyses.
• Transcriptomic analysis to understand immunological responses.
• Chronic electrocardiographic recordings in mice to evaluate device performance.

Main Results:

• The novel design suppressed FBR by 64% and improved conductivity by over an order of magnitude.
• The FBR level was 53% lower than the parent zwitteronic hydrogel.
• Immunological investigations revealed unique effects of chemical heterogeneity.
• Successful long-term electrocardiographic recordings demonstrated device efficacy.

Conclusions:

• The zwitteronic-hydrogel-based double-network design offers a promising strategy to mitigate FBR in conducting polymers.
• This material design enhances conductivity and biocompatibility for long-term implantable electrophysiology.
• The findings pave the way for developing next-generation immunocompatible electronic polymers for biomedical applications.