New Peptidomimetic Polymers for Antifouling Surfaces

摘要

Protein,cell,and bacterial fouling of surfaces occurs spontaneously upon exposure of medical implants and diagnostic devices to physiologic fluids and tissues.In many cases biofouling is an adverse event that can impair function of medical devices.Examples of problematic biofouling include occlusion of cardiovascular implants by thrombus,protein accumulation onto biosensor surfaces,and bacterial colonization of contact lenses and indwelling catheters.Patient infections and other complications from biofouling significantly increase the cost of healthcare delivery and can lead to compromised implant performance or even implant failure.Common strategies for inhibiting biofouling consist of grafting antifouling polymers or self-assembled monolayers onto surfaces.A variety of synthetic polymers have been investigated as antifouling coatings and have met with variable success in in vitro and in vivo antifouling tests;however,none have yet proven ideal for long-term prevention of protein,cell,and bacterial fouling of surfaces.