RATIONAL DESIGN OF ANTIMICROBIAL & ANTIFOULING POLYMERS FOR MEDICAL DEVICE COATINGS

Abstract

HIGH PREVALENCE OF CATHETER-ASSOCIATED INFECTIONS AMOUNTS FOR MORE THAN 3 BILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY IN HOSPITALS, AND ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIFOULING POLYMER COATINGS ON CATHETER SURFACE SERVES AS AN ATTRACTIVE SOLUTION. WE FIRST DEVELOPED TRIBLOCK POLYCARBONATE POLYMERS CONSISTING OF THREE CRITICAL COMPONENTS, MAINLY ANTIFOULING POLY(ETHYLENE GLYCOL) (PEG), ANTIMICROBIAL CATIONIC POLYCARBONATE, AND A TETHERING FUNCTIONAL BLOCK FOR COVALENT GRAFTING. THE TWO-LAYER DEPOSITION SYSTEM WAS FOUND TO BE EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE AGAINST S. AUREUS, AND THE INFUSION OF A SHORT CHAIN PEG WITHIN THE FIRST LAYER SEPARATED FROM THE CATIONIC CHARGES TO BE MOST EFFECTIVE, ACHIEVING MINIMUM FOULING AND MAXIMUM BACTERIA KILLING EFFECTS OVER TWO WEEKS. FOR THE DIFFICULT-TO-KILL P. AERUGINOSA (GRAM-NEGATIVE), A HIGHER CHARGE DENSITY AND INCREASED HYDROPHOBICITY WERE REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE COMPLETE KILLING. FINALLY, THIS SERIES OF SYSTEMATIC LAYERING OF POLYCARBONATES HOLD GREAT POTENTIAL AS ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTI