Antithrombogenic Properties of Amphiphilic Block Copolymer Coatings: Evaluation of Hemocompatibility Using Whole Blood.

Antithrombogenicity is one of the most critical properties required for materials used in biomedical devices, particularly in devices that contact blood. The antithrombogenicity of surfaces coated with amphiphilic block copolymers composed of hydrophobic poly(2-methoxyethyl acrylate) (M) and hydrophilic poly(,-dimethylacrylamide) (D) segments was investigated using plasma protein and whole blood with regard to protein adsorption, thrombus formation, platelet activation, and clotting kinetics. Three types of block copolymers and a random copolymer were synthesized using one-pot reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization under conditions of high yield and high molecular weight.

Control of cell cultivation and cell sheet detachment on the surface of polymer/clay nanocomposite hydrogels.

Cell cultivation on the surface of a novel poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) hydrogel (N-NC gel), consisting of a specific type of organic (PNIPA)/inorganic (clay) network, was studied using three cell types; HepG2 human hepatoma cells, human dermal fibroblasts, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells. For the first time, it was found that cells could be cultured to be confluent on the surfaces of PNIPA hydrogels using N-NC gels, regardless of gel thickness. Cell adhesion and proliferation on N-NC gels exhibit strong dependencies on clay concentration (C(clay)), and the numbers of cultured cells are maximum at about C(clay) = 6 x 10(-2) mol (45.