title: New biomaterial as a promising alternative to silicone breast implants.
abstract: One in eight American women develops breast cancer. Of the many patients requiring mastectomy yearly as a consequence, most elect some form of breast reconstruction. Since 2006, only silicone breast implants have been approved by the FDA for the public use. Unfortunately, over one-third of women with these implants experience complications as a result of tissue-material biocompatibility issues, which may include capsular contracture, calcification, hematoma, necrosis and implant rupture. Our group has been working on developing alternatives to silicone. Linear triblock poly(styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene) (SIBS) polymers are self-assembling nanostructured thermoplastic rubbers, already in clinical practice as drug eluting stent coatings. New generations with a branched (arborescent or dendritic) polyisobutylene core show promising potential as a biomaterial alternative to silicone rubber. The purpose of this pre-clinical research was to evaluate the material-tissue interactions of a new arborescent block copolymer (TPE1) in a rabbit implantation model compared to a linear SIBS (SIBSTAR 103T) and silicone rubber. This study is the first to compare the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution, tensile properties and histological evaluation of arborescent SIBS-type materials with silicone rubber before implantation and after explantation.
authors: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA.
authors: Goy
authors: G
authors: Teck Lim
authors: Stephanie A
authors: SA
authors: Valente
authors: Cherie R
authors: CR
authors: Hart-Spicer
authors: Mary M
authors: MM
authors: Evancho-Chapman
authors: Judit E
authors: JE
authors: Puskas
authors: Walter I
authors: WI
authors: Horne
authors: Steven P
authors: SP
authors: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000633:toxicity*; D018427:Breast Implants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005260:Female; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008422:Materials Testing; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D011817:Rabbits; D012826:Silicone Elastomers / Q000737:chemistry; D013343:Styrenes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity*; D013718:Tensile Strength
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D012826:Silicone Elastomers; D013343:Styrenes; C500040:poly(styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene)