Development of Poly (pro-curcumin) Polymer Coatings to Improve Cortical Electrode Biocompatibility

该应用旨在创造创新的聚合物涂层，以改善皮质内 微电极生物相容性。皮质内微电极植入后， 导致神经元损失和在植入物周围形成神经胶质瘢痕。神经元的丧失 神经胶质瘢痕的形成导致附近神经元的记录随时间减少。生物材料涂层 具有减轻炎症和神经胶质瘢痕形成反应的潜力。然而，药物从这些 生物材料的药物释放发生在短的持续时间（小时/天）内，并且许多药物释放材料涂层 机械僵硬。我们寻求增加释放的持续时间，同时降低 涂层以改善皮质内微电极的生物相容性。 在过去的几年里，我们的团队已经创造了高分子量聚（前药）聚合物涂层 由姜黄素制成。薄膜或涂层能够使姜黄素持久释放（几周至几周）， 数月的释放），并且涂层的硬度明显低于微电极材料。在试点研究中， 聚（姜黄素原）聚合物涂层大大减小了皮质内植入后的损伤尺寸， 展示了我们方法的潜在前景。我们的指导假设是，聚（亲， 姜黄素的药物）聚合物涂层增加神经保护以改善长期记录能力 的电极。 该项目很可能通过开发能够 在较长的持续时间内释放药物。这些新的聚（前药）聚合物可能会导致范式 中枢神经系统损伤治疗的生物材料和神经科学研究的变化 系统伤害。更具体地说，该项目将通过实现长期的神经记录来影响神经记录领域。 记录，可能增强神经假体接口的退伍军人患有中枢神经系统 相关瘫痪

This application aims to create innovative polymer coatings to improve intracortical microelectrode biocompatibility. Following intracortical microelectrode implantation, an inflammatory response leads to neuronal loss and the formation of a glial scar around the implant. The loss of neurons and the formation of the glial scar lead to diminished recordings of nearby neurons over time. Biomaterial coatings have the potential of mitigating the inflammatory and glial scarring response. However, drug release from these biomaterials occurs over short durations (hours/days) and many drug-releasing material coatings are mechanically stiff. We seek to increase the duration of release while reducing the mechanical stiffness of coatings to improve intracortical microelectrode biocompatibility. Over the past several years, our groups have created high molecular weight poly(pro-drug) polymer coatings fabricated from curcumin. Thin films or coatings enable long-lasting release of curcumin (several weeks to months of release), and the coatings are significantly less stiff than microelectrode materials. In pilot studies, poly(pro-curcumin) polymer coatings greatly reduce the lesion size following intracortical implantation, demonstrating the potential promise of our approach. Our guiding hypothesis is that the creation of poly(pro- drug) polymer coatings from curcumin increase neuroprotection to improve the long-term recording capability of electrodes. This project is likely to make significant contributions by developing new biomaterial coatings capable of releasing drug over longer durations. These new poly(pro-drug) polymers could potentially lead to paradigm shifts in both biomaterials and neuroscience research for the treatment of injury following central nervous system injury. More specifically, this project would impact the field of neural recording by enabling longer-term recording, potentially enhancing neuroprosthetic interfaces for Veterans suffering from central nervous system related paralysis.