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Pereira AT, Henriques PC, Schneider KH, Pires AL, Pereira AM, Martins MCL, Magalhães FD, Bergmeister H, Gonçalves IC. Graphene-based materials: the key for the successful application of pHEMA as a blood-contacting device. Biomater Sci 2021; 9:3362-3377. [PMID: 33949373 DOI: 10.1039/d0bm01699c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Thrombosis and infection are the leading causes of blood-contacting device (BCD) failure, mainly due to the poor performance of existing biomaterials. Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) has excellent hemocompatibility but the weak mechanical properties impair its use as a bulk material for BCD. As such, pHEMA has been explored as a coating, despite the instability and difficulty of attachment to the underlying polymer compromise its success. This work describes the hydrogel composites made of pHEMA and graphene-based materials (GBM) that meet the biological and mechanical requirements for a stand-alone BCD. Five GBM differing in thickness, oxidation degree, and lateral size were incorporated in pHEMA, revealing that only oxidized-GBM can reinforce pHEMA. pHEMA/oxidized-GBM composites are cytocompatible and prevent the adhesion of endothelial cells, blood platelets, and bacteria (S. aureus), thus maintaining pHEMA's anti-adhesive properties. As a proof of concept, the thrombogenicity of the tubular prototypes of the best formulation (pHEMA/Graphene oxide (GO)) was evaluated in vivo, using a porcine arteriovenous-shunt model. pHEMA/GO conduits withstand the blood pressure and exhibit negligible adhesion of blood components, revealing better hemocompatibility than ePTFE, a commercial material for vascular access. Our findings reveal pHEMA/GO, a synthetic and off-the-shelf hydrogel, as a preeminent material for the design of blood-contacting devices that prevent thrombosis and bacterial adhesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia T Pereira
- INEB - Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Portugal. and i3S - Instituto de Inovação e Investigação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal and GABBA - Graduate Program in Areas of Basic and Applied Biology, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Patrícia C Henriques
- INEB - Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Portugal. and i3S - Instituto de Inovação e Investigação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal and FEUP - Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal and LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Karl H Schneider
- Center for Biomedical Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria and Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cardiovascular Research, Austria
| | - Ana L Pires
- IFIMUP - Instituto de Física de Materiais Avançados, Nanotecnologias e Fotónica, Departamento de Física e Astronomia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - André M Pereira
- IFIMUP - Instituto de Física de Materiais Avançados, Nanotecnologias e Fotónica, Departamento de Física e Astronomia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria Cristina L Martins
- INEB - Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Portugal. and i3S - Instituto de Inovação e Investigação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal and ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Fernão D Magalhães
- LEPABE - Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Helga Bergmeister
- Center for Biomedical Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria and Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Cardiovascular Research, Austria
| | - Inês C Gonçalves
- INEB - Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Portugal. and i3S - Instituto de Inovação e Investigação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
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