Protein and bacterial fouling characteristics of peptide and antibody decorated surfaces of PEG-poly(acrylic acid) co-polymers

The potential for base poly(ethylene glycol) graft poly(acrylic acid) PEG-g-PA copolymers and surface-modified PEG-g-PA materials to inhibit random protein fouling and bacterial adhesion are investigated. PEG-g-PA co-polymers were synthesized that inhibited non-specific protein and cellular adhesion. PEG-g-PA co-polymers were then covalently modified with either cell adhesion peptides (YRGDS, YEILDV) or fragments of antibodies to monocyte/macrophage integrin receptors (Anti-VLA4, Anti- β 1, Anti- β 2, and Anti-CD64) known to enhance macrophage adhesion and, perhaps, modulate their activation. Materials produced in this work were characterized using: hydrophobicity by contact angle; angle-resolved X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy to confirm the presence of PEG in the bulk material and the surface; degree of hydration; differential scanning calorimetry; and thermal gravimetric analysis. To evaluate the non-fouling efficacy of the various modified surfaces, three proteins, human serum albumin, human fibronectin (Fraction I) and human immunoglobulin were 125I labeled. Samples of base PEG-g-PA and PEG-g-PA, modified with various peptides, were exposed to solutions containing either 2 or 200 μg/ml of one of the labeled proteins at 37°C for 24 h. PEG-g-PA substrata modified with directly bound peptides exhibited protein adsorption that varied depending upon the surface bounded peptide. PEG-g-PA modified with peptides linked by linear PEG tethers reduced protein adsorption at 24 h by ∼45% in comparison to PEG-g-PA. Peptides linked by way of StarPEO and StarlikePEO tethers further decreased protein adsorption in comparison to PEG-g-PA. The ability of peptide:PEOtethers to inhibit protein adsorption appeared to be a function of type and surface coverage of the PEO tether and not influenced by the amount or molecular structure the tethered peptide. Peptides directly coupled to the PEG-g-PA increased the amount of protein fouling relative to controls and there appeared to be some dependency of the amount of protein adsorption on which peptide was tethered. Two 14C-labeled pathogens, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, were used to quantify the degree of bacterial adhesion using two types of laminar flow cell chambers; one that provided invasive sampling of the target substrata and one that provided non-invasive microscopic surveillance of adhering bacterial cells. Attachment of both species to PEG-g-PA and peptide-modified PEG-g-PA was reduced compa