Biomaterials are commonly used in the medical clinic today; however, artificial materials can activate the cascade systems in the blood (complement-, coagulation-, contact- and fibrinolytic systems) as well as the platelets to various degrees. When an artificial surface comes in contact with blood, plasma proteins will be adsorbed to the surface within seconds. The composition of the layer of proteins differs between materials and is crucial for the hemocompatibility of the material. This thesis includes five projects. In Paper I the anticoagulants heparin and the thrombin inhibitor hirudin were evaluated in a whole blood model. Hirudin was found to be superior to low dose heparin since it did not affect the activation of the complement system nor the leukocytes. The most interesting observation was that expression of TF was seen on surface-attached monocytes in hirudin- treated blood but not heparin blood. In Paper II peptides from the streptococcal M-protein, which has affinity for the human complement inhibitor C4BP, were attached to a polymeric surface. When being exposed to blood the endogenous complement regulator was enriched at the surface of the material, via the M-peptides. With this new approach we created a self-regulatory surface, showing significant lowered material-induced complement activation. In Paper III apyrase, an enzyme which hydrolyzes nucleoside ATP and ADP, was immobilized on a polymer surface. Lower platelet activation and platelet-induced coagulation activation was seen for the apyrase-coated surface compared to control surfaces after exposure to whole human blood, due to the enzymes capability to degrade ADP released from activated platelets. In Paper IV and V we synthesized an array of polymeric materials which were characterized regarding physical-chemical properties, adsorption of plasma proteins, and hemocompatibility. The polymers showed widely heterogeneous protein adsorption. Furthermore, when the polymers were exposed to whole blood, two of the materials showed superior hemocompatibility (monitored as complement- and coagulation activation), compared to the reference poly(vinyl chloride).

During the past several decades polymer materials become widely used as components of medical devices and implants such as hemodialysers, bioartificial organs as well as vascular and recombinant surgery. Most of the devices cannot avoid the blood contact in their use. When the polymer materials come in contact with blood they can cause different undesired host responses like thrombosis, inflammatory reactions and infections. Thus the materials must be hemocompatible in order to minimize these undesired body responses. The earliest and one of the main problems in the use of blood-contacting biomaterials is the surface induced thrombosis. The sequence of the thrombus formation on the artificial surfaces has been well established. The first event, which occurs, after exposure of biomaterials to blood, is the adsorption of blood proteins. Surface physicochemical properties of the materials as wettability greatly influence the amount and conformational changes of adsorbed proteins. In turn the type, amount and conformational state of the adsorbed protein layer determines whether platelets will adhere and become activated or not on the artificial surface and thus to complete the thrombus formation. The adsorption of fibrinogen (FNG), which is present in plasma, has been shown to be closely related to surface induced thrombosis by participating in all processes of the thrombus formation such as fibrin formation, platelet adhesion and aggregation. Therefore study the FNG adsorption to artificial surfaces could contribute to better understanding of the mechanisms of platelet adhesion and activation and thus to controlling the surface induced thrombosis. <br /> <br /> Endothelization of the polymer surfaces is one of the strategies for improving the materials hemocompatibility, which is believed to be the most ideal solution for making truly blood-compatible materials. Since at physiological conditions proteins such as FNG and fibronectin (FN) are the usual extracellular matrix (ECM) for endothelial cells (EC) adhesion, precoating of the materials with these proteins has been shown to improve EC adhesion and growth in vitro. ECM proteins play an essential role not only like a structural support for cell adhesion and spreading, but also they are important factor in transmitting signals for different cell functions. The ability of cells to remodel plasma proteins such as FNG and FN in matrix-like structures together with the classical cell parameters such as actin cytoskeleton and focal adhesion formation could be used as an criteria for proper cell functioning. The establishment and the maintaining of delicate balance between cell-cell and cell-substrate contacts is another important factor for better EC colonization of the implants. The functionality of newly established endothelium in order to produce antithromotic substances should be always considered when EC seeding is used for improving the hemocompatibility of the polymer materials. <br /> <br /> Controlling the polymer surface properties such as surface wettability represents a versatile approach to manipulate the above cellular responses and therefore can be used in biomaterial and tissue engineering applications for producing better hemocompatible materials.

Blood contacting devices are frequently limited by complications such as surface-induced thrombosis. This thesis investigated the feasibility of using a family of recombinant elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs), namely ELP1, ELP2 and ELP4 that differ by molecular weight and sequence length, as potential thromboresistant coatings. The ELP coatings were prepared by physical adsorption onto the surface of Mylar, with surface modification confirmed by goniometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and chemical force microscopy (CFM). Both surface wettability and hydrophilic adhesion force increased as the ELP sequence length decreased. The ELP adsorption process monitored by using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) showed that the ELPs adsorbed within a monolayer. Additionally, ELP surface coverage was found to increase with the polypeptide sequence length. The QCM-D studies also revealed that the longer polypeptides (ELP2 and ELP4) exhibited higher specific dissipation values indicating that they established adsorbed layers with greater structural flexibility and associated water content compared to ELP1. Exposure of the ELP coatings to flowing reconstituted blood demonstrated that both the ELP2 and ELP4 coatings reduced the quantity of adsorbed fibrinogen (Fg), with the ELP4 coating resulting in the lowest levels of adherent platelets. Energy dissipation versus frequency shift plots obtained from QCM-D studies indicated that adsorbed Fg on the ELP4 coating maintained a softer, more flexible film then on the other ELPs. The ELP4 coating also demonstrated an altered binding activity for GPIIb/IIIa where only the AGDV motif in the adsorbed Fg gamma-chain appeared to be exposed and bioactive. Conversely, on the other ELP coatings both the AGDV and RGD motifs (found within the Fg alpha-chain) were available for binding, suggesting that a different Fg conformational state exists on the ELP1 and ELP2 coatings. Moreover, both the ELP2 and ELP4 coatings displayed minimal bulk platelet reactivity following extended whole blood shear exposure (up to an hour) compared to Mylar. This was not observed with the ELP1 coating. Overall, the results suggest that the structural flexibility and associated water content of the ELP coatings appear to be important criteria influencing their thrombogenicity, with ELP4 displaying the most favourable blood-material response compared to ELP1 and ELP2.

Blood contacting devices are frequently limited by complications such as surface-induced thrombosis. This thesis investigated the feasibility of using a family of recombinant elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs), namely ELP1, ELP2 and ELP4 that differ by molecular weight and sequence length, as potential thromboresistant coatings. The ELP coatings were prepared by physical adsorption onto the surface of Mylar, with surface modification confirmed by goniometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and chemical force microscopy (CFM). Both surface wettability and hydrophilic adhesion force increased as the ELP sequence length decreased. The ELP adsorption process monitored by using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) showed that the ELPs adsorbed within a monolayer. Additionally, ELP surface coverage was found to increase with the polypeptide sequence length. The QCM-D studies also revealed that the longer polypeptides (ELP2 and ELP4) exhibited higher specific dissipation values indicating that they established adsorbed layers with greater structural flexibility and associated water content compared to ELP1. Exposure of the ELP coatings to flowing reconstituted blood demonstrated that both the ELP2 and ELP4 coatings reduced the quantity of adsorbed fibrinogen (Fg), with the ELP4 coating resulting in the lowest levels of adherent platelets. Energy dissipation versus frequency shift plots obtained from QCM-D studies indicated that adsorbed Fg on the ELP4 coating maintained a softer, more flexible film then on the other ELPs. The ELP4 coating also demonstrated an altered binding activity for GPIIb/IIIa where only the AGDV motif in the adsorbed Fg gamma-chain appeared to be exposed and bioactive. Conversely, on the other ELP coatings both the AGDV and RGD motifs (found within the Fg alpha-chain) were available for binding, suggesting that a different Fg conformational state exists on the ELP1 and ELP2 coatings. Moreover, both the ELP2 and ELP4 coatings displayed minimal bulk platelet reactivity following extended whole blood shear exposure (up to an hour) compared to Mylar. This was not observed with the ELP1 coating. Overall, the results suggest that the structural flexibility and associated water content of the ELP coatings appear to be important criteria influencing their thrombogenicity, with ELP4 displaying the most favourable blood-material response compared to ELP1 and ELP2.

L’objectif de ce travail est d’évaluer la biocompatibilité d’un copolymère de Dextrane- Polybutylmethacrylate utilisé comme revêtement de stent métallique en Cobalt-Chrome. L’étude s’est déroulée en trois phase : 1/La production du polymère et la caractérisation physico-chimique, 2/L’évaluation in vitro et 3/L’évaluation in vivo dans plusieurs modèles. Dans un premier temps deux copolymères de concentrations distinctes ont été synthétisés et mis en forme pour les différentes expériences. Leur caractérisation par FTIR, mesure d’angle de contact et une première implantation in vivo évaluant la réaction à corps étranger a permis d’ensélectionner un : le Dex-PBMA. Aucune réaction inflammatoire chronique n’a été observée. Desépreuves dynamiques et une observation des stents recouverts au MEB ont permis de confirmer la présence et la tenue du film de Dex-PBMA sur les stents. Des tests in vitro ont montré une faible d’adhésion bactérienne et plaquettaire ainsi qu’une thrombogénicité modérée. Un dispositif sous flux ex vivo et l’utilisation d’une molécule modèle - le Tacrolimus – ont montré la faisabilité d’utiliser le Dex-PBMA comme plateforme de libération de substances. In vitro, l’adhésion et la prolifération des progéniteurs endothéliaux ainsi que des cellules souches mésenchymateuses étaient faibles mais aucun effet toxique n’a été noté. Finalement les stents recouverts de Dex-PBMA ont été implantés in vivo dans un modèle d’aorte saine de rat puis dans un modèle de resténose chez le lapin. Chez le rat, après 30 jours, une hyperplasie limitée, l’absence de macrophage et une réendothélialisation des mailles ont été observées. Les premières implantations chez le lapin ont confirmé ces tendances mais l’étude doit être élargie afin d’en tirer une conclusion plus fiable. En conclusion, ces données démontrent que le Dex-PBMA est un matériau intéressant pour le revêtement de stent. / The purpose of this work was to study the biocompatibility of a dextran-graft-polybutylmethacrylate copolymer coated on cobalt chromium metallic stent. This study was divided in 3 parts: 1/the production of the copolymer and its physico-chemical characterization; 2/ its in vitro evaluation and 3/ its in vivo evaluation in several models. In the first step, 2 copolymers with different concentrations were synthetized and shaped for the following experiments. Their FTIR examination, contact angle measurement and a first in vivo implantation to evaluate foreign body reaction lead to the selection of one copolymer: the Dex-PBMA. No chronicle inflammatory reaction was noticed. Dynamic tests and SEM observations of coated stents confirmed the presence and the resistance of the Dex-PBMA coating. In vitro tests showed both low bacterial and platelet adhesions and a moderate thrombogenicity. An ex vivo test under flow with a model molecule – the Tacrolimus – showed the ability of Dex-PBMA to deliver drug. In vitro, the human endothelial progenitors and mesenchymal stem cells adhesion and proliferation were low but didn’t reveal any toxic effect. Finally Dex-PBMA coated stent were implanted in vivo in a healthy rat aorta model of stenting then in a rabbit model of restenosis. In rat, the intimal hyperplasia was moderate and an endothelium was present 30 days after stent implantation. First rabbit implantation confirmed these trends nevertheless this study must be extended to obtain significant results. In conclusion, these data demonstrate that Dex-PBMA is an interesting material for stent coating.

Owing to an increased risk of aging population and a higher incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD), there is a need for more reliable and safer treatments. Numerous varieties of durable polymer-coated drug eluting stents (DES) are available in the market in order to mitigate in-stent restenosis. However, there are certain issues regarding their usage such as delayed arterial healing, thrombosis, inflammation, toxic corrosion by-products, mechanical stability and degradation. As a result, significant amount of research has to be devoted to the improvement of biodegradable polymer-coated implant materials in an effort to enhance their bioactive response. In this investigation, magneto-electropolished (MEP) and a novel biodegradable polymer coated ternary Nitinol alloys, NiTiTa and NiTiCr were prepared to study their bio and hemocompatibility properties. The initial interaction of a biomaterial with its surroundings is dependent on its surface characteristics such as, composition, corrosion resistance, work of adhesion and morphology. In-vitro corrosion tests such as potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) studies were conducted to determine the coating stability and longevity. In-vitro hemocompatibility studies and HUVEC cell growth was performed to determine their thrombogenic and biocompatibility properties. Critical delamination load of the polymer coated Nitinol alloys was determined using Nano-scratch analysis. Sulforhodamine B (SRB) assays were performed to elucidate the effect of metal ions leached from Nitinol alloys on the viability of HUVEC cells. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle meter and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the surface of the alloys. MEP treated and polymer coated (PC) Nitinol alloys displayed a corrosion resistant polymer coating as compared to uncoated alloys. MEP and PC has resulted in reduced Ni and Cr ion leaching from NiTi5Cr and subsequently low cytotoxicity. Thrombogenicity tests revealed significantly less platelet adhesion and confluent endothelial cell growth on polymer coated and uncoated ternary MEP Nitinol alloys. Finally, this research addresses the bio and hemocompatibility of MEP + PC ternary Nitinol alloys that could be used to manufacture blood contacting devices such as stents and vascular implants which can lead to lower U.S. healthcare spending.

T. pallidum can survive a primary immune response and continue growing in the host for an extended period of time. T. pallidum is thought to bind serum fibronectin (FN) through Tp0483 on the surface to obscure antigens. A Tp0483 fragment (rTp0483) was adsorbed onto functionalized self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) with FN. FN capture by adsorbed rTp0483 depended greatly on surface chemistry with COO- groups being best for FN binding. Hemocompatibility was determined by analysis of plasma protein adsorption, intrinsic pathway activation, and platelet activation. rTp0483+FN bound an equal or lesser amount of fibrinogen (Fg), human serum albumin (HSA), and factor XII (FXII) compared to rTp0483 or FN alone and adsorption of rTp0483 prior to FN greatly decreased platelet activation. Inhibition of protein binding and platelet activation suggested an attenuated hematological response. Biocompatibility of rTp0483 and FN coated surfaces was characterized by macrophage uptake of protein coated polystyrene microspheres (PSMs), macrophage adsorption onto protein coated surfaces, cytotoxic effects of adsorbed rTp0483 and FN, and TNF-α and NO2- release in macrophages stimulated with rTp0483 and FN adsorbed and in solution. Addition of FN to rTp0483 on plain and COO- PSMs reduced phagocytosis compared to rTp0483 alone and on plain PSMs compared to FN alone. On plain PSMs addition of FN to adsorbed rTp0483 decreased TNF-α generation. Adsorption of rTp0483 before FN on large, flat COO- surfaces decreased macrophage adsorption and TNF-α and NO2- generation. High concentrations of rTp0483 were mildly cytotoxic to macrophages. FN binding by Tp0483 on T. pallidum likely plays a role in antigenic disguise and rTp0483+FN coatings may potentially inhibit FN and rTp0483 specific interactions with macrophages. Molecularly imprinted polymer coatings were also examined for biomaterial development. Fouling resistant 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) was imprinted with bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein templates to facilitate BSA specific binding. The BSA template was constructed and verified and BSA specific binding quantified using quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). BSA imprinted coatings were determined to bind significantly more BSA than nonfouling MPC controls demonstrating the feasibility of targeted protein capture.

The goal of this project was to develop a non-toxic amphiphilic diblock copolymer nanoparticulate drug delivery system that will solubilize paclitaxel (PTX) and retain the drug in plasma. Methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(ε-caprolactone) (MePEG-b-PCL) diblock copolymers loaded with PTX were characterized and their physicochemical properties were correlated with their performance as nanoparticulate drug delivery systems. A series of MePEG-b-PCL was synthesized with PCL blocks ranging from 2-104 repeat units and MePEG blocks of 17, 44 or 114 repeat units. All copolymers were water soluble and formed micelles except MePEG₁₁₄-b-PCL₁₀₄, which was water insoluble and formed nanospheres. Investigation of the effects of block length on the physicochemical properties of the nanoparticles was used to select appropriate copolymers for development as PTX nanoparticles. The critical micelle concentration, pyrene partition coefficient and diameter of nanoparticles were found to be dependent on the PCL block length. Copolymers based on a MePEG molecular weight of 750 g/mol were found to have temperature dependent phase behavior. Relationships between the concentration of micellized drug and the compatibility between the drug and core-forming block, as determined by the Flory-Huggins interaction parameter, and PCL block length were developed. Increases in the compatibility between PCL and the drug, as well as longer PCL block lengths resulted in increased drug solubilization. The physicochemical properties and drug delivery performance characteristics of MePEG₁₁₄-b-PCL₁₉ micelles and MePEG₁₁₄-b-PCL₁₀₄ nanospheres were compared. Nanospheres were larger, had a more viscous core, solubilized more PTX and released it slower, compared to micelles. No difference was seen in the hemocompatibility of the nanoparticles as assessed by plasma coagulation time and erythrocyte hemolysis. Micellar PTX had an in vitro plasma distribution similar to free drug. The majority of micellar PTX associated with the lipoprotein deficient plasma fraction (LPDP). In contrast, nanospheres were capable of retaining more of the encapsulated drug with significantly less PTX partitioning into the LPDP fraction. In conclusion, although both micelles and nanospheres were capable of solubilizing PTX and were hemocompatible, PTX nanospheres may offer the advantage of prolonged blood circulation, based on the in vitro plasma distribution data, which showed that nanospheres retained PTX more effectively.

The goal of this project was to develop a non-toxic amphiphilic diblock copolymer nanoparticulate drug delivery system that will solubilize paclitaxel (PTX) and retain the drug in plasma. Methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(ε-caprolactone) (MePEG-b-PCL) diblock copolymers loaded with PTX were characterized and their physicochemical properties were correlated with their performance as nanoparticulate drug delivery systems. A series of MePEG-b-PCL was synthesized with PCL blocks ranging from 2-104 repeat units and MePEG blocks of 17, 44 or 114 repeat units. All copolymers were water soluble and formed micelles except MePEG₁₁₄-b-PCL₁₀₄, which was water insoluble and formed nanospheres. Investigation of the effects of block length on the physicochemical properties of the nanoparticles was used to select appropriate copolymers for development as PTX nanoparticles. The critical micelle concentration, pyrene partition coefficient and diameter of nanoparticles were found to be dependent on the PCL block length. Copolymers based on a MePEG molecular weight of 750 g/mol were found to have temperature dependent phase behavior. Relationships between the concentration of micellized drug and the compatibility between the drug and core-forming block, as determined by the Flory-Huggins interaction parameter, and PCL block length were developed. Increases in the compatibility between PCL and the drug, as well as longer PCL block lengths resulted in increased drug solubilization. The physicochemical properties and drug delivery performance characteristics of MePEG₁₁₄-b-PCL₁₉ micelles and MePEG₁₁₄-b-PCL₁₀₄ nanospheres were compared. Nanospheres were larger, had a more viscous core, solubilized more PTX and released it slower, compared to micelles. No difference was seen in the hemocompatibility of the nanoparticles as assessed by plasma coagulation time and erythrocyte hemolysis. Micellar PTX had an in vitro plasma distribution similar to free drug. The majority of micellar PTX associated with the lipoprotein deficient plasma fraction (LPDP). In contrast, nanospheres were capable of retaining more of the encapsulated drug with significantly less PTX partitioning into the LPDP fraction. In conclusion, although both micelles and nanospheres were capable of solubilizing PTX and were hemocompatible, PTX nanospheres may offer the advantage of prolonged blood circulation, based on the in vitro plasma distribution data, which showed that nanospheres retained PTX more effectively.

The goal of this project was to develop a non-toxic amphiphilic diblock copolymer nanoparticulate drug delivery system that will solubilize paclitaxel (PTX) and retain the drug in plasma. Methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(ε-caprolactone) (MePEG-b-PCL) diblock copolymers loaded with PTX were characterized and their physicochemical properties were correlated with their performance as nanoparticulate drug delivery systems. A series of MePEG-b-PCL was synthesized with PCL blocks ranging from 2-104 repeat units and MePEG blocks of 17, 44 or 114 repeat units. All copolymers were water soluble and formed micelles except MePEG₁₁₄-b-PCL₁₀₄, which was water insoluble and formed nanospheres. Investigation of the effects of block length on the physicochemical properties of the nanoparticles was used to select appropriate copolymers for development as PTX nanoparticles. The critical micelle concentration, pyrene partition coefficient and diameter of nanoparticles were found to be dependent on the PCL block length. Copolymers based on a MePEG molecular weight of 750 g/mol were found to have temperature dependent phase behavior. Relationships between the concentration of micellized drug and the compatibility between the drug and core-forming block, as determined by the Flory-Huggins interaction parameter, and PCL block length were developed. Increases in the compatibility between PCL and the drug, as well as longer PCL block lengths resulted in increased drug solubilization. The physicochemical properties and drug delivery performance characteristics of MePEG₁₁₄-b-PCL₁₉ micelles and MePEG₁₁₄-b-PCL₁₀₄ nanospheres were compared. Nanospheres were larger, had a more viscous core, solubilized more PTX and released it slower, compared to micelles. No difference was seen in the hemocompatibility of the nanoparticles as assessed by plasma coagulation time and erythrocyte hemolysis. Micellar PTX had an in vitro plasma distribution similar to free drug. The majority of micellar PTX associated with the lipoprotein deficient plasma fraction (LPDP). In contrast, nanospheres were capable of retaining more of the encapsulated drug with significantly less PTX partitioning into the LPDP fraction. In conclusion, although both micelles and nanospheres were capable of solubilizing PTX and were hemocompatible, PTX nanospheres may offer the advantage of prolonged blood circulation, based on the in vitro plasma distribution data, which showed that nanospheres retained PTX more effectively. / Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of / Graduate