Appropriate surface chemistry between a material and its surrounding biological environment is crucial to the eventual integration and performance of any implant, whether metal, plastic, or ceramic. A robust peptide-based coating technology capable of easily modifying the surface of titanium (Ti) metal through noncovalent binding is described. A short peptide possessing affinity for Ti was identified using a phage display screening process and subjected to an amino acid substitution exercise using solid-phase chemical synthesis. Through these studies, the HKH tripeptide motif was elucidated as an important contributor to Ti binding within the Ti-binding peptide. This peptide spontaneously and selectively adsorbs onto a Ti surface from dilute aqueous solution with submicromolar binding affinities as determined by ELISA and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), through a process largely dominated by electrostatic interactions. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) reveals a densely packed peptide adlayer with an average height of approximately 0.5 nm. Subsequently, a PEGylated analogue of the peptide was shown to rapidly coat Ti to afford a nonfouling surface that efficiently blocked the adsorption of fibronectin and significantly reduced the extent of Staphylococcus aureus attachment and biofilm formation in vitro. These PEGylated-peptide coatings show promise in terms of resolving two major hurdles common to implanted metals: (i) nonspecific protein adsorption and (ii) bacterial colonization. At the same time, the facile one-step modification process will facilitate the point-of-care application of these coatings in the surgical suite.

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Biomaterials used in implants have traditionally been selected based on their mechanical properties, chemical stability, and biocompatibility. However, the durability and clinical efficacy of implantable biomedical devices remains limited in part due to the absence of appropriate biological interactions at the implant interface and the lack of integration into adjacent tissues. Herein, we describe a robust peptide-based coating technology capable of modifying the surface of existing biomaterials and medical devices through the non-covalent binding of modular biofunctional peptides. These peptides contain at least one material binding sequence and at least one biologically active sequence and thus are termed, “Interfacial Biomaterials” (IFBMs). IFBMs can simultaneously bind the biomaterial surface while endowing it with desired biological functionalities at the interface between the material and biological realms. We demonstrate the capabilities of model IFBMs to convert native polystyrene, a bioinert surface, into a bioactive surface that can support a range of cell activities. We further distinguish between simple cell attachment with insufficient integrin interactions, which in some cases can adversely impact downstream biology, versus biologically appropriate adhesion, cell spreading, and cell survival mediated by IFBMs. Moreover, we show that we can use the coating technology to create spatially resolved patterns of fluorophores and cells on substrates and that these patterns retain their borders in culture.

We describe a new antifouling surface coating, based on aggregation of a short amphiphilic four-armed PEG-dopamine polymer into particles, and on surface binding by catechol chemistry. An unbroken and smooth polymeric coating layer with an average thickness of approximately 4 microns was formed on top of titanium oxide surfaces by a single step reaction. Coatings conferred excellent resistance to protein adhesion. Cell attachment was completely prevented for at least eight weeks, although the membranes themselves did not appear to be intrinsically cytotoxic. When linear PEG or four-armed PEG of higher molecular weight were used, the resulting coatings were inferior in thickness and in preventing protein adhesion. This coating method has potential applicability for biomedical devices susceptible to fouling after implantation.

Bacterial infections can have adverse effects on the efficacy, lifetime and safety of an implanted device and are the second most commonly attributed cause of orthopedic implant failure. We have previously shown the assembly of PEGylated titanium-binding peptides (TBPs) on Ti to obtain a bacteriophobic surface coating that can effectively resist protein adsorption and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) adhesion. In the present study, we examine the effect of multiple TBP repeats on coating performance in vitro. Mono, di, and tetravalent peptides were synthesized and assessed for binding affinity and serum stability. PEGylated analogs were prepared and evaluated for their effect on S. aureus attachment and biofilm formation. Coating performance improved with the number of TBP repeats, with the tetravalent coating, TBP4–PEG, showing the best performance in all assays. In particular, TBP4–PEG forms a serum-resistant surface coating capable of preventing S. aureus colonization and subsequent biofilm formation. These results further support the role that multivalency can play in the development of improved surface coatings with enhanced stabilities and efficacy for in vivo clinical use.

A bifunctional peptide coating was designed, synthesized, and evaluated as a potential pro-healing stent coating. The bifunctional peptide consisted of a short 28-mer sequence that on the N-terminus, has a motif with affinity for polystyrene binding, and at the C-terminus, a motif that was shown to selectively bind human endothelial cells but not platelets. Results showed that the selective coating, a polystyrene binding peptide terminated in RRETAWA (FFSFFFPASAWGSSGSSGK(biotin)CRRETAWAC), bound endothelial cells quantitatively as well as the common RGD motif, but unlike RGD, it did not show any preference for platelet adherence. Follow-up work examining the difference in cell line selectivity between endothelial cells, whose binding should be encouraged, and smooth muscle cells, whose binding should be deprecated in a stenting application, did identify a temporal preference of the RRETAWA-terminated peptide coating for endothelial cells. However, the in vivo implications of this apparent selectivity need to be examined in more detail before definitive conclusions can be drawn. The positive in vitro results encourage the continued development of other novel coatings that mimic biological structures and/or signaling capabilities to direct cellular processes on the surface of synthetic materials.

Abstract

Results of the current study suggest that micro-textured surfaces could provide a viable method for reducing microbial contamination of high-touch surfaces in hospitals.