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Research and Application Examples

Optimizing antifouling additive design

Three additives, based on bisurea and short poly(ethylene glycol)  polymers, were designed and synthesized and formulated in combination with both PCL-BU and PC-BU base polymers. The antifouling properties were assessed on 2D solution-cast surfaces and on 3D electrospun scaffolds. The bisurea-PEG additive where a PEG-polymer is sandwiched between two bisurea motifs proved to have the most robust antifouling properties in 3D electrospun scaffolds.

Activities by Biomaterials Platform:

  • Design and synthesis of bisurea-PEG additives and PCL-BU and PC-BU polymers

Related scientific publications

 

Influencing cell-adhesion with bisurea-peptide additives: RGD

BU-RGD and BU-cRGD additives were combined with PCL-BU and were shown to modulate the adhesion of renal epithelial cells, through a change in focal adhesion size, distribution and cell-motility.

Activities by Biomaterials Platform:

  • Synthesis of peptides, and conjugation to bisurea-building block.

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Antimicrobial peptide-additives

Antimicrobial peptides (AMP) were modified with a UPy-moiety and incorporated in the PCLdiUPy supramolecular thermoplastic elastomer. The UPy-AMP were shown to be non-cytotoxic, and able to kill several strains of bacteria. Furthermore, the additional UPy-moiety prevented excessive leakage of the AMPs from the elastomeric material.

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Improving material-Extracellular Matrix interactions with catechol-derived additive

A catechol moiety was conjugated to the UPy building block and incorporated in PCLdiUPy supramolecular thermoplastic elastomer, and in an intrinsically non-cell adhesive Priplast-based UPy-material. Through incorporation of the UPy-catechol additive, the cell-material and material-ECM interactions were notably improved.

Activities by Biomaterials Platform

  • Synthesis of UPy-catechol additive and UPy-priplast elastomer

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Surface modification from supramolecular additive

Through incorporation of a tetrazine modified UPy-additive, into the PCLdiUPy supramolecular thermoplastic elastomer, the surface of the biomaterial could be modified after fabrication. This was first shown on 2D spin-coated films, and later on 3D electrospun scaffolds. Furthermore, by using BCN-PEG molecules, surfaces were modified to be antifouling for cells and proteins.

Activities by Biomaterials Platform

  • Synthesis of UPy-additive

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pH switchable UPy- hydrogel for injection

UPy-PEG hydrogelators show pH switching properties, where a sol-gel transition occurs when the pH decreased from 9.5 to neutral. Using this property, and the natural buffering properties of tissue, an injectable hydrogel can be formulated. Such a hydrogelator can then for instance be used for the local (and controlled) delivery of drug-molecules.

Activities by Biomaterials Platform

  • Synthesis of UPy-based hydrogelators

Related scientific publications:

 

Hydrogel with MRI-label additive

A UPy-based additive was conjugated to a DOTA-moiety that can complexate paramagnetic gadolinium (Gd), resulting in a UPy-DOTA-Gd MRI-label additive

Activities by Biomaterials Platform

  • Design and synthesis of UPy-DOTA-Gd MRI-label

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