Protein-surface interactions on stimuli-responsive polymeric biomaterials

Biomed Mater. 2016 Mar 4;11(2):022002. doi: 10.1088/1748-6041/11/2/022002.

Abstract

Responsive surfaces: a review of the dependence of protein adsorption on the reversible volume phase transition in stimuli-responsive polymers. Specifically addressed are a widely studied subset: thermoresponsive polymers. Findings are also generalizable to other materials which undergo a similarly reversible volume phase transition. As of 2015, over 100,000 articles have been published on stimuli-responsive polymers and many more on protein-biomaterial interactions. Significantly, fewer than 100 of these have focused specifically on protein interactions with stimuli-responsive polymers. These report a clear trend of increased protein adsorption in the collapsed state compared to the swollen state. This control over protein interactions makes stimuli-responsive polymers highly useful in biomedical applications such as wound repair scaffolds, on-demand drug delivery, and antifouling surfaces. Outstanding questions are whether the protein adsorption is reversible with the volume phase transition and whether there is a time-dependence. A clear understanding of protein interactions with stimuli-responsive polymers will advance theoretical models, experimental results, and biomedical applications.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Acrylic Resins / chemistry
  • Adsorption
  • Animals
  • Biocompatible Materials / chemistry*
  • Drug Delivery Systems
  • Humans
  • Phase Transition
  • Polymers / chemistry
  • Proteins / chemistry*
  • Surface Properties
  • Tissue Scaffolds / chemistry

Substances

  • Acrylic Resins
  • Biocompatible Materials
  • Polymers
  • Proteins
  • poly-N-isopropylacrylamide