Projects / Programmes
Bio-surface modification of polyester-based vascular-graft materials with peptides and glycosaminoglycans for controlled protein adhesion and improved endothelisation
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 2.04.00 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Materials science and technology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| T150 |
Technological sciences |
Material technology |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 2.05 |
Engineering and Technology |
Materials engineering |
Bio-surface modification, artificial vascular grafts, amino-acid, peptide, glycosaminoglycane, endothelisation
Researchers (1)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
37632 |
PhD Matej Bračič |
Chemistry |
Head |
2018 - 2020 |
0 |
Organisations (1)
Abstract
Understanding and controlling the adsorption of proteins and platelet cells at vascular interfaces is of crucial importance for the rational design and application of materials to be used in vascular tissue engineering as their unspecific adsorption can prevent endothelisation, leading to infections associated with vascular implants, which are notoriously difficult to treat and can also lead to serious complications or rejection of the implants.
Vascular grafts are most commonly made of polyesters which are known for their excellent biocompatibility but are highly prone to unspecific protein adsorption, due to their hydrophobicity, bio-inertness and lack of reactive sites for further bio-functionalization. This leads to platelet adhesion and aggregation, and subsequent thrombus formation and occlusion.
Recently, polycaprolactone (PCL) has emerged in the field of biomaterials due to its high biocompatibility and an extremely broad solubility in both acids and organic solvents. It is known to be easily processed to form various 3D structures (e.g. electrospun grafts) with controllable pore size, multilayer structures and other complete structures. Its excellent processability makes it an ideal candidate for the manufacturing of electrospun vascular grafts. Electrospinning has proven to be a very efficient and low-cost method, largely used for the fabrication and development of tubular grafts with micro- and nano-scaled fibres, mimicking the microenvironment of natural extracellular matrix and promoting endothelisation.
Even though, the combination of PCL and electrospinning is providing nearly ideal fundaments for the design of a material used for vascular grafts, PCL itself is still prone to unspecific protein adsorption and thrombosis formation as is known for other polyesters as well.
Using biocompatible molecules like amino-acids, peptides and glycosaminoglycans to modify the surface of PCL has the potential to solve this challenging problem by making it highly bioactive. Only a few studies have been devoted to modifying PCL substrates with these biomolecules to control biological behaviours such as unspecific protein and platelet adhesion, and adhesion or differentiation of endothelial cells. A comprehensive and detailed study on the interactions of amino-acids, peptides, and glycosaminoglycans with thin spin-coated films and electrospun PCL substrates and later the interactions of such modified surfaces with proteins, platelet cells as well as endothelial cells by precise surface sensitive techniques like quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) and MP-SPR (Multi-parameter surface plasmon resonance) is crucial for the understanding of the problem as a whole and for taking the next big step forward in the field of artificial vascular implants.
The aim of this work is to modify the surface of nanometric PCL films by amino-acids, peptides and glycosaminoglycans and systematically and in great detail study the interactions of this highly bioactive surfaces with proteins and platelet cells by state of the art surface analytical techniques QCM-D and MP-SPR. The knowledge gained from this will be transferred to designing a 3D structured and highly bioactive electrospun PCL matrix, which will be submitted to endothelial cell growth test in order to determine its potential as a fully biocompatible artificial vascular graft.
Significance for science
A multidisciplinary approach, combining knowledge from scientific fields like chemistry, material physics (manufacturing of electrospun fibres, manufacturing of thin films cy spin-coating, testing surface, morphological, and physicochemical properties of the materials with state of the art equipment) and biochemistry (growth of endothelial cells) will be necessary to achieve all milestones and the main aim of the post-doctoral project. Especially the interaction of such biomaterials with the endothelial cells will play a crucial role. The influence of surface, morphological, and physicochemical properties of the biomaterials on the adhesion, spreading, and proliferation of endothelial cells is lacking knowledge and is mostly unexplored. The knowledge gained from the research in this project will answer some critical questions in all the above-mentioned fields and will allow other researchers in the fields of chemistry, material physics, biochemistry, etc. To make a big leap forward in understanding and manufacturing of advanced biomaterials to be used in contact with living tissue. Therefore, a cooperation with dr. Uroš Maver from the Medical faculty Maribor was established in order to perform the endothelial cell growth tests.
All project results will be published in journals of high impact factor and will be presented at international conferences. The interdisciplinary approach will increase the impact of the results.
Significance for the country
A multidisciplinary approach, combining knowledge from scientific fields like chemistry, material physics (manufacturing of electrospun fibres, manufacturing of thin films cy spin-coating, testing surface, morphological, and physicochemical properties of the materials with state of the art equipment) and biochemistry (growth of endothelial cells) will be necessary to achieve all milestones and the main aim of the post-doctoral project. Especially the interaction of such biomaterials with the endothelial cells will play a crucial role. The influence of surface, morphological, and physicochemical properties of the biomaterials on the adhesion, spreading, and proliferation of endothelial cells is lacking knowledge and is mostly unexplored. The knowledge gained from the research in this project will answer some critical questions in all the above-mentioned fields and will allow other researchers in the fields of chemistry, material physics, biochemistry, etc. To make a big leap forward in understanding and manufacturing of advanced biomaterials to be used in contact with living tissue. Therefore, a cooperation with dr. Uroš Maver from the Medical faculty Maribor was established in order to perform the endothelial cell growth tests.
All project results will be published in journals of high impact factor and will be presented at international conferences. The interdisciplinary approach will increase the impact of the results.
Most important scientific results
Final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Final report
