Nanomaterials with surface functionalized by different chemical groups can either provoke or attenuate the immune responses of the nanomaterials, which is critical to their biomedical efficacies. In this study, we demonstrate that synthetic waterborne polyurethane nanoparticles (PU NPs) can inhibit the macrophage polarization toward the M1 phenotype but not M2 phenotype. The surface-functionalized PU NPs decrease the secretion levels of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1β) for M1 macrophages. Specifically, PU NPs with carboxyl groups on the surface exhibit a greater extent of inhibition on M1 polarization than those with amine groups. These water-suspended PU NPs reduce the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation and suppress the subsequent NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome signals. Furthermore, the dried PU films assembled from PU NPs have a similar effect on macrophage polarization and present a smaller shifting foreign body reaction (FBR) in vivo than the conventional poly(l-lactic acid). Taken together, the biodegradable waterborne PU NPs demonstrate surface-dependent immunosuppressive properties and macrophage polarization effects. The findings suggest potential therapeutic applications of PU NPs in anti-inflammation and macrophage-related disorders and propose a mechanism for the low FBR observed for biodegradable PU materials.
Keywords: NLRP3 inflammasome; autophagy; foreign body reaction; macrophage polarization; polyurethane nanoparticles.