Enhancing anti-thrombogenicity of biodegradable polyurethanes through drug molecule incorporationElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Swelling ratio of PU-DPA films in HFIP. See DOI: 10.1039/c8tb01582a

• Main Authors: Xu, Cancan, Kuriakose, Aneetta E, Truong, Danh, Punnakitikashem, Primana, Nguyen, Kytai T, Hong, Yi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2050-750X; 2050-7518
• DOI: 10.1039/c8tb01582a

Sufficient and sustained anti-thrombogenicity is essential for blood-contacting materials because blood coagulation and thrombosis caused by platelet adhesion and activation on material surfaces may lead to functional failure and even fatal outcomes. Covalently conjugating anti-thrombogenic moieties into a polymer, instead of surface modification or blending, can maintain the anti-thrombogenicity of the polymer at a high level over time. In this study, a series of randomly crosslinked, elastic, biodegradable polyurethanes (PU-DPA) were synthesized through a one-pot and one-step method from polycaprolactone (PCL) diol, hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and an anti-thrombogenic drug, dipyridamole (DPA). The mechanical properties, hydrophilicity, in vitro degradation, and anti-thrombogenicity of the resultant PU-DPA polymers could be tuned by altering the incorporated DPA amount. The surface and bulk hydrophilicity of the polyurethanes decreased with increasing hydrophobic DPA amounts. All PU-DPA polymers exhibited strong mechanical properties and good elasticity. The degradation rates of PU-DPAs decreased with increasing DPA content in both PBS and lipase/PBS solutions. Covalently incorporating DPA into the polyurethane significantly reduced the platelet deposition compared to that of the polyurethane without DPA, and the polyurethane remained anti-thrombogenicity after degradation. The PU-DPA films also supported the growth of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The attractive mechanical properties, blood compatibility, and cell compatibility of this anti-thrombogenic biodegradable polyurethane indicate that it has a great potential to be utilized for blood-contacting devices and cardiovascular tissue repair and regeneration. An anti-thrombogenic, elastic, biodegradable polyurethane with covalently incorporated drug can reduce blood platelet deposition on the surface.