Cell membrane-inspired phospholipid polymers for developing medical devices with excellent biointerfaces

Abstract

This review article describes fundamental aspects of cell membrane-inspired phospholipid polymers and their usefulness in the development of medical devices. Since the early 1990s, polymers composed of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) units have been considered in the preparation of biomaterials. MPC polymers can provide an artificial cell membrane structure at the surface and serve as excellent biointerfaces between artificial and biological systems. They have also been applied in the surface modification of some medical devices including long-term implantable artificial organs. An MPC polymer biointerface can suppress unfavorable biological reactions such as protein adsorption and cell adhesion -in other words, specific biomolecules immobilized on an MPC polymer surface retain their original functions. MPC polymers are also being increasingly used for creating biointerfaces with artificial cell membrane structures.

Long circulating micelles of an amphiphilic random copolymer bearing cell outer membrane phosphorylcholine zwitterions

“…The hydrophilic PC groups of the polymer can reorient to the interface in aqueous environment forming a cell outer membrane mimetic structure [38][39][40]. The closely packed zwitterionic PC groups bind hydration water strongly through electrostatic interactions [41] and suppress non-specific protein adsorption and foreign body reactions [42][43][44][45]. This kind of amphiphilic cell membrane mimetic polymers has the ability to form micelles or aggregates bearing cell outer membrane mimetic structure in aqueous solutions [40].…”

Bioinspired Phospholipid Polymer Hydrogel System for Cellular Engineering

“…[18,20,30,31] The cytotoxicity of PMBV was evaluated using a lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) cytotoxicity assay kit as follows. PMBV was dissolved in cell culture medium at a given concentration.…”

“…MPC polymer surfaces repress cell adhesion owing to extremely low protein adsorption on the MPC polymer surface. [16][17][18][19][20] In general, amphiphilic water-insoluble MPC polymers, poly(MPC-co-n-butyl methacrylate [BMA]) have been used for surface modification of biomedical devices via a simple dip coating and solvent evaporation procedure. Recently, specific reactive functional groups have been introduced into the MPC polymer for surface modification of materials.…”

Surface Tailoring of Nanoparticles via Mixed‐Charge Monolayers and Their Biomedical Applications

“…[ 99,100 ] Among other materials that might be alternative choices for the use of PEG, zwitterionic materials have shown great promise owing to their superior non-fouling properties. [101][102][103] By defi nition, zwitterions bear both positive and negative charges in the same molecule. This combination of opposite charges (German: zwitter) grants the zwitterionic groups their ultra-hydrophilicity and overall charge neutrality.…”