title: Surface plasma modification and tropoelastin coating of a polyurethane co-polymer for enhanced cell attachment and reduced thrombogenicity.
abstract: Polymers currently utilized for dermal and vascular applications possess sub-optimal biocompatibility which reduces their efficacy. Improving the cell-binding and blood-contacting properties of these polymers would substantially improve their clinical utility. Tropoelastin is a highly extensible extracellular matrix protein with beneficial cell interactive and low thrombogenic properties. We transferred these benefits to the polyurethane block copolymer Elast-Eon E2A through a specific combination of surface plasma modifications and coating with human tropoelastin. The cell-binding activity of bound tropoelastin was modulated by ion implantation of the underlying polymer, and correlated with surface hydrophobicity, carbon and oxygen content. This combined treatment enhanced human dermal fibroblast (HDF) and human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) attachment, cytoskeletal assembly and viability, combined with elevated PECAM-1 staining of HUVEC cell junctions. The thrombogenicity of the polymer was ameliorated by tropoelastin coating. We propose that a combination of metered plasma treatment and tropoelastin coating of Elast-Eon can serve to improve the biological performance of implantable devices such as vascular conduits.
authors.affiliation: Applied and Plasma Physics, School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; School of Molecular Bioscience, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. Electronic address: dbax@physics.usyd.edu.au.
authors.forename: Daniel V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Bax
authors.affiliation: Applied and Plasma Physics, School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Alexey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kondyurin
authors.affiliation: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Waterhouse
authors.affiliation: Applied and Plasma Physics, School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: McKenzie
authors.affiliation: School of Molecular Bioscience, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Anthony S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.affiliation: Applied and Plasma Physics, School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Marcela M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Bilek
mesh_terms: D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D021982:Cell-Matrix Junctions / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000737:chemistry*; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008422:Materials Testing; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D011140:Polyurethanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D011485:Protein Binding; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013499:Surface Properties; D014333:Tropoelastin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D019408:Platelet Endothelial Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D011140:Polyurethanes; D014333:Tropoelastin
keywords: Block copolymer; Elast-Eon; Ion implantation; PDMS; Plasma immersion ion implantation; Polyurethane