Novel Polymers Designed to Minimize Platelet Adhesion

Oklahoma State University, Stillwater OK

Investigators

Abstract

0085358 Lewis Polymer materials are often used as biomedical devices that come in contact with human blood, of which platelets are a component. Platelet adhesion onto materials incorporated in prosthetic and extracorporeal circulatory devices can hinder mass-transport of chemical species or lead to life-threatening emboli (blood clots). Although several materials have been developed to minimize platelet adhesion, complete inhibition has not always occurred and the potential formation of dangerous blood clots still exists. The proposed project will optimize and characterize novel polymers that utilize endogenous sources (naturally occurring within the body) of nitric oxide to inhibit the deposition of platelets. Nitric oxide is a simple biological molecule generated in vivo by many cells, including those that line the blood vessels, and is involved in the inhibition of platelet adhesion and aggregation. The polymers will be modified with various chemicals that will "extract" nitric oxide from circulating blood components, following which the nitric oxide will be released from the polymer to inhibit platelet adhesion. A polymer that is continually capable of inhibiting platelet adhesion for long time periods, such as the one(s) optimized in this study, would be valuable for long-term applications of polymers exposed to blood. In addition, the concepts demonstrated in this proposal could be applied to minimize platelet deposition to non-polymeric materials or polymers not currently used that would have beneficial properties in blood-exposure applications.