A sterilizable, biocompatible, tropoelastin surface coating immobilized by energetic ion activation

Giselle C Yeo; Alexey Kondyurin; Elena Kosobrodova; Anthony S Weiss; Marcela M M Bilek

doi:10.1098/rsif.2016.0837

A sterilizable, biocompatible, tropoelastin surface coating immobilized by energetic ion activation

J R Soc Interface. 2017 Feb;14(127):20160837. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2016.0837.

Authors

Giselle C Yeo^{1

2

3}, Alexey Kondyurin⁴, Elena Kosobrodova⁵, Anthony S Weiss^{2

3

6}, Marcela M M Bilek⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia giselle.yeo@sydney.edu.au.
² Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
³ School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
⁴ School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia kond@mailcity.com.
⁵ School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
⁶ Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.

Abstract

Biomimetic materials which integrate with surrounding tissues and regulate new tissue formation are attractive for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Plasma immersion ion-implanted (PIII) polyethersulfone (PES) provides an excellent platform for the irreversible immobilization of bioactive proteins and peptides. PIII treatment significantly improves PES wettability and results in the formation of acidic groups on the PES surface, with the highest concentration observed at 40-80 s of PIII treatment. The elastomeric protein tropoelastin can be stably adhered to PIII-treated PES in a cell-interactive conformation by tailoring the pH and salt levels of the protein-surface association conditions. Tropoelastin-coated PIII-treated PES surfaces are resistant to molecular fouling, and actively promote high levels of fibroblast adhesion and proliferation while maintaining cell morphology. Tropoelastin, unlike other extracellular matrix proteins such as fibronectin, uniquely retains full bioactivity even after medical-grade ethylene oxide sterilization. This dual approach of PIII treatment and tropoelastin cloaking allows for the stable, robust functionalization of clinically used polymer materials for directed cellular interactions.

Keywords: biomimetic material; ethylene oxide; plasma ion implantation; polyethersulfone; sterilization; tropoelastin.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Cell Adhesion
Cell Line
Coated Materials, Biocompatible / chemistry*
Fibroblasts / cytology
Fibroblasts / metabolism*
Humans
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Materials Testing*
Osmolar Concentration
Polymers / chemistry*
Sterilization*
Sulfones / chemistry*
Tropoelastin / chemistry*

Substances

Coated Materials, Biocompatible
Polymers
Sulfones
Tropoelastin
polyether sulfone

Associated data

figshare/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3675919