Bioinspired super-hydrophilic zwitterionic polymer armor combats thrombosis and infection of vascular catheters

Thrombosis and infection are two major complications associated with central venous catheters(CVCs),which significantly contribute to morbidity and mortality.Antifouling coating strategies currently represent an efficient approach for addressing such complications.However,existing antifouling coatings have limitations in terms of both duration and effectiveness.Herein,we propose a durable zwitterionic polymer armor for catheters.This armor is realized by pre-coating with a robust phenol-polyamine film inspired by insect sclerotization,followed by grafting of poly-2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine(pMPC)via in-situ radical polymerization.The resulting pMPC coating armor exhibits super-hydrophilicity,thereby forming a highly hydrated shell that effectively prevents bacterial adhesion and inhibits the adsorption and activation of fibrinogen and platelets in vitro.In practical applications,the armored catheters significantly reduced inflammation and prevented biofilm formation in a rat subcutaneous infection model,as well as inhibited thrombus formation in a rabbit jugular vein model.Overall,our robust zwitterionic polymer coating presents a promising solution for reducing infections and thrombosis associated with vascular catheters.

An insect sclerotization-inspired antifouling armor on biomedical devices combats thrombosis and embedding

Thrombus formation and tissue embedding significantly impair the clinical efficacy and retrievability of temporary interventional medical devices.Herein,we report an insect sclerotization-inspired antifouling armor for tailoring temporary interventional devices with durable resistance to protein adsorption and the following protein-mediated complications.By mimicking the phenol-polyamine chemistry assisted by phenol oxidases during sclerotization,we develop a facile one-step method to crosslink bovine serum albumin(BSA)with oxidized hydrocaffeic acid(HCA),resulting in a stable and universal BSA@HCA armor.Furthermore,the surface of the BSA@HCA armor,enriched with carboxyl groups,supports the secondary grafting of polyethylene glycol(PEG),further enhancing both its antifouling performance and durability.The synergy of robustly immobilized BSA and covalently grafted PEG provide potent resistance to the adhesion of proteins,platelets,and vascular cells in vitro.In ex vivo blood circulation experiment,the armored surface reduces thrombus formation by 95%.Moreover,the antifouling armor retained over 60%of its fouling resistance after 28 days of immersion in PBS.Overall,our armor engineering strategy presents a promising solution for enhancing the antifouling properties and clinical performance of temporary interventional medical devices.