Multifunctional polymeric implant coatings based on gelatin, hyaluronic acid derivative and chain length-controlled poly(arginine)

Surface of the implantable devices is the root cause of several complications such as infections, implant loosening and chronic inflammation. There is an urgent need for multifunctional coatings that can address these shortcomings simultaneously in a manner similar to the structures of extracellular matrix. Herein, we developed a coating system composed of ECM components and a naturally derived polypeptide. The interactions between the coating components create an environment that enables incorporation of an antimicrobial/angiogenic polypeptide. The film composition is based gelatin and hyaluronic acid modified with aldehyde groups (HA-Ald) that can react with poly (arginine) (PAR) through transient interactions. Nanoplasmon measurements demonstrated a significantly higher loading of PAR in films containing HA-Ald with longer retention of PAR in the structure. The presence of PAR not only provides to the film surface antimicrobial (contact-killing) properties but also increased endothelial cell-cell contacts (PECAM) and VEGFA gene expression and secretion by human vascular endothelial cells. This multifunctional coating can be easily applied to surface of implants where it can enact on several problems simultaneously.