Hydrogel lenses functionalized with surface-immobilized PEG layers for reduction of protein adsorption

Yu Jin Cho,Jun-Pil Jee

College of Pharmacy,Chosun University,Gwangju 501-759,Republic of Korea

Hydrogel lenses functionalized with surface-immobilized PEG layers for reduction of protein adsorption

Yu Jin Cho,Jun-Pil Jee*

College of Pharmacy,Chosun University,Gwangju 501-759,Republic of Korea

A R T I C L E I N F O

Article history:

Available online 25 November 2015

Hydrogel

Polyethylene glycol

Protein adsorption

Contact lens

The development of antifouling materials is of great interest for multiple biomedical and biotechnological applications,including medical implants,contact lenses,biosensors,drug delivery,and catheters.Surface coating and modifcation methods that utilize antifouling polymers include physical adsorption,layer-by-layer(LbL),self-assembled monolayers(SAMs), surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization(ATRP), interpenetrating polymer network(IPN),and reaction of the specifc groups of polymers with the substrate.Polyhydrophilic polymers,including polyethyleneglycol(PEG),polysaccharides,and polyamides,and polyzwitterionic polymers such as 2-methacryloyloxylethyl phosphorylcholine(MPC)and carboxybetaine methacrylate(CBMA)have been employed in the development of bio-antifouling substrates to reduce protein adsorption and bioflm formation on contact lenses[1].In order of Protein-resistant coatings on contact lenses,the novel tribranched PEG-substituted hydrazides were designed and synthesized for surface modifcation of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)(pHEMA)-based hydrogels.

We have synthesized a novel tri-branched PEG-substituted hydrazide,which imparts densely packed,covalently bound PEG-layers on hydrogels,to determine whether branching provides improved coverage of the lens surface,thereby reducing protein adsorption.The effect of PEG-immobilization on the wettability,surface properties,protein adsorption,and optical transmittance of the resultant hydrogels was investigated,with a particular focus on the branching of PEGs compared to the linear PEG-coated hydrogels and unmodifed control.Notably, the amount of protein adsorbed on tri-branched PEG-coated hydrogels decreased signifcantly,compared to the amount adsorbed onto the surface of control and linear PEG-coated hydrogels.These results provide insight into the mechanism by which PEGs reduce protein adsorption and suggest that PEG-coating may offer an intriguing potential for ophthalmic biomaterials,as well as protein-resistant devices.

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by research funds provided by Chosun University(Grant No.K206640001)in 2013.

Fig.1–Schematic representation of branched PEG-functionalized hydrogel lenses exhibiting protein adsorption resistance.

R E F E R E N C E

[1]Kim HJ,Ryu GC,Jeon KS,et al.Hydrogel lenses functionalized with polysaccharide for reduction of protein adsorption. Macromol Res 2015;23:74–78.

*E-mail address:jee@chosun.ac.kr.

Peer review under responsibility of Shenyang Pharmaceutical University.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajps.2015.11.082

1818-0876/©2016 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.on behalf of Shenyang Pharmaceutical University.This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).