Controlled biological response on blends of a phosphorylcholine-based copolymer with poly(butyl methacrylate)

Phosphorylcholine (PC)-based polymers have been used in a variety of medical device applications to improve biocompatibility. Here, solutions containing poly(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) and 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine-co-lauryl methacrylate (MPC-co-LMA2) copolymer were spin-coated onto glass coverslips at various ratios ranging from 5:1 to 1:0 for each of the two components, respectively. The resulting blend coatings were shown to be phase-separated on the nanometre-scale by atomic force microscopy, the PC copolymer within the blend being preferentially expressed at the surface. The adsorption of two key blood proteins, fibrinogen and albumin were investigated using surface plasmon resonance as an indicator of biocompatibility. The adsorption of protein to a biomaterials’ surface can then stimulate further biological responses. This study therefore, also investigates the materials ability to elicit an inflammatory response by studying the adhesion of human mononuclear cells to the material surface. The materials ability to support the adhesion and growth of other tissue cells was also evaluated, looking specifically at the adhesion and proliferation of rabbit corneal epithelial cells. Results suggest that the adsorption of proteins and the adhesion of both corneal epithelial cells and mononuclear cells are dependent on the composition of the PBMA:MPC-co-LMA2 copolymer.