Novel Translucent Nanocomposite Biomaterials

描述（由申请人提供）：本项目旨在开发一种新型生物相容性纳米复合材料，使用蒙脱石纳米粘土和我们的专有聚合物-聚（异丁烯-b-（对甲基苯乙烯-co-异丁烯））嵌段共聚物（arbIB-MS）的树状结构，作为乳房植入体模型中硅橡胶的替代品。之所以选择这种模型，是因为美国妇女中乳腺癌的广泛传播，八分之一的妇女可能会患上浸润性乳腺癌。用于乳房植入体的硅橡胶的现有设计和材料选择与健康并发症相关，例如凝胶出血和包囊挛缩，需要患者接受再次手术以进行矫正或取出植入体。这种情况需要新的材料。我们的初步结果表明，arbIB-MS碳纳米复合材料的机械性能和生物相容性超过硅橡胶。将纳米粘土混合到该聚合物中可以进一步增强整体材料性能并保持光学透明度/透光性。在这个为期两年的项目中，具体目标是在实验室批量合成arbIB-MS，制备arbIB-MS-粘土纳米复合材料，评估重要性能，如热，物理和机械性能，并建立这些材料的体外生物相容性（与SUMMA Health System合作）。该项目的研究任务旨在培养和吸引一个博士后研究员，一名研究生，一名本科生，一名当地高中教师和一名高中生在生物医学和材料科学研究方面的团队，在Puskas博士和我们在SUMMA的合作者的监督下。本科生和高中教师作为一项外联举措参与其中，以鼓励有才华的年轻人尽早沉浸在科学研究中，并在当地高中一级将“研究带入课堂”，向下一代潜在的研究生灌输科学、技术和工程学的积极观点。该项目将与现有的和成功的推广计划，如聚合物在背包，向上的约束和教育人才搜索，专为中学生。博士后研究员和研究生将面临开发和进行生物医学相关研究的挑战。通过非正式讨论，定期小组会议，生物材料学会的区域或国家科学会议以及期刊出版物，在传统聚合物和材料科学方面接受过培训的团队成员将有机会向生物医学界展示研究成果。 如果获得资助，拟议的项目将是高分子科学系的第一个NIH资助的研究，高分子科学系是美国领先的聚合物项目，在全球范围内得到广泛认可。 公共卫生相关性：该区域项目是开发新型半透明弹性粘土纳米复合材料，并在体外测试其生物相容性。阿克伦大学的聚合物科学与聚合物工程学院是美国最大的聚合物研究项目，在生物材料开发方面提供独特的专业知识。这一领域的赠款将是第一个在高分子科学系NIH赠款，使教师和学生接触到健康相关的研究。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project aims to develop a new class of biocompatible nanocomposite using montmorillonite nano- clay with our proprietary polymer - an arborescent form of poly(isobutylene-b-(p-methylstyrene-co- isobutylene)) block copolymer (arbIB-MS), as an alternative to silicone rubber in a breast implant model. This model was selected because of the wide-spread breast cancer among American women, with one in eight women likely to develop invasive breast cancer. The existing design and material choice of silicone rubber for breast implants are associated with health complications, such as gel bleed and capsular contracture, to require patients to undergo re-operations for correction or implant removal. This situation calls for new materials. Our preliminary results show that the carbon nanocomposite of arbIB-MS mechanical performance and biocompatibility exceeds that of silicone rubber. Blending nano-clay into this polymer can further enhance the overall material performance and retain optical transparency/translucency. In this two-year project, specific aims are set to synthesize arbIB-MS at a lab-batch scale, prepare arbIB-MS-clay nanocomposites, evaluate important properties, such as thermal, physical and mechanical properties, and establish the in vitro biocompatibility of these materials (in collaboration with SUMMA Health System). The research tasks of the project have been designed to train and engage a team of a post-doctoral fellow, a graduate student, an undergraduate student, a local high school teacher with a high school student in biomedical and material science research, under the supervision of Dr. Puskas and our collaborators at SUMMA. The undergraduate students and the high school teacher are involved as an outreach initiative to encourage an early immersion of talented youths in scientific study, and bring "research into our classroom" at the local high school level to instill a positive perspective of science, technology and engineering in the next generations of potential graduate students. The project will be tied in with existing and successful outreach programs such as Polymer in a Backpack, Upward Bound and Educational Talent Search, designed for middle school students. The post- doctoral fellow and graduate student will be challenged to develop and conduct research related to biomedicine. Through informal discussion, regular group meetings, regional or national scientific meetings of the Society for Biomaterials, and journal publications, the team members trained in traditional polymer and material science will be given opportunities to present research findings to the biomedical community. If funded, the proposed project would be the first NIH-funded research in the Department of Polymer Science, the leading polymer program in the nation and widely recognized globally. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This AREA project is to develop novel translucent elastomeric clay nanocomposites and test their biocompatibility in vitro. The College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering at the University of Akron is the largest polymer research program in the country, offering unique expertise in biomaterial development. This AREA grant would be the first NIH grant in the Department of Polymer Science, exposing teachers and students to health-related research.