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Chemical activation and changes in surface morphology of poly(ε-caprolactone) modulate VEGF responsiveness of human endothelial cells

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Abstract

The high degree of clinical routine in percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) with and without stenting has not changed the fact that a large number of coronary heart disease patients are still affected by post-operative complications such as restenosis and thrombosis. Because re-endothelialization is the crucial aspect of wound healing after cardiovascular implant surgery, there is a need for modern biomaterials to aid endothelial cells in their adhesion and functional recovery post-stenting. This study systematically examines the potential of numerous chemical polymer modifications with regard to endothelialization. Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and its chemically activated forms are investigated in detail, as well as the impact of polymer surface morphology and precoating with matrix protein. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) are used to characterize endothelial cell responses in terms of in vitro viability and adhesion. As a potential component in drug eluting implants, VEGF is applied as stimulus to boost endothelial cell proliferation on the polymer. In conclusion, plasma chemical activation of PCL combined with VEGF stimulation best enhances in vitro endothelialization. Examining the impact of morphological, chemical and biological modifications of PCL, this study makes an important new contribution towards the existing body of work on polymer endothelialization.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the German federal government via the BMBF project REMEDIS “Höhere Lebensqualität durch neuartige Mikroimplantate” (FKZ: 03IS2081).

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Rostock University Medical Center, Friedrich-Barnewitz-Str. 4, 18119, Rostock, Germany

    Thilo Storm, Katharina Wulf, Michael Teske, Marian Löbler, Frank Luderer, Klaus-Peter Schmitz, Katrin Sternberg & Marina Hovakimyan

  2. Institute for Biostatistics and Informatics in Medicine and Ageing Research, Rostock University Medical Center, Ernst-Heydemann-Str. 8, 18057, Rostock, Germany

    Günther Kundt

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  1. Thilo Storm
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  2. Katharina Wulf
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  9. Marina Hovakimyan
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Correspondence to Thilo Storm.

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Storm, T., Wulf, K., Teske, M. et al. Chemical activation and changes in surface morphology of poly(ε-caprolactone) modulate VEGF responsiveness of human endothelial cells. J Mater Sci: Mater Med 25, 2003–2015 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-014-5226-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-014-5226-0

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