Polymeric Chemical and Physical Interfaces with Blood and Musculo-skeletal tissues

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Polymeric materials are made of very large molecules that self assemble into materials that have practical applications. Polymers are now commonly used in the medical field for many applications including implants for orthopaedics, dental, and vascular devices, along with many others. While for the past 40 years, these polymers have been relatively simple in nature, consisting primarily of materials made of one (i.e. polyethylene) or possibly two (i.e. polyethylene terephthalate) building blocks called monomers, our research laboratory has been exploring more complex structures with four or five completely different monomer building blocks at a time, in order to reflect some of the complex heterogeneity seen in bio-polymers (the biological molecules that carry out most of the function in our body). Upon implantation into the body, one of the first things that happens is that polymers interact with bio-polymers called proteins. These proteins are natural polymers which often contain over 10 different monomers if not more, reflecting hydrophobic, hydrophilic and ionic function. Changes in the structure of proteins are often forced upon the bio-polymers by synthetic polymers that only have one or two monomer structures. This transformation occurs in order to minimize interfacial energy between the surface and proteins. These changes often lead to negative reactions that affect biocompatibility with the cells in tissues, including the foreign body cell reactions with extracellular proteins and other cells within the body; blood clotting activity involving proteins, blood platelets and white blood cells; interfacial bonding between mineralized and extracellular matrix proteins of soft tissues; and bacterial biofilm formation at the interface of biomaterials and the latter tissues. A perspective which remains understudied is how does one use the discovered knowledge of protein interactions with surfaces as “an analytical tool” for inspiring and directing innovative new heterogeneous material chemistry, and generating tailored physical features and/or microdomain structures with morphologies that can influence the above biological processes, such as to arrive at materials which correct the aforementioned problems. It is our desire in this Discovery grant to use our knowledge gained in free radical generated polyurethane chemistry, which affords the chemical diversity of block copolymers, the ability to phase separate to form intermolecular domain structures, and the versatility in processing to readily yield physical cues that influence cell function, to now drive a program on innovative new polymeric biomaterials development. This work will one day lead to new products, conceived by evolving Canadian entrepreneurs in the field, as has been shown possible by the Santerre lab for over two decades now.