Heparinized self‐healing polymer coating with inflammation modulation for blood‐contacting biomedical devices

Abstract

The current techniques for antithrombotic coating on blood‐contacting biomedical materials and devices are usually complex and lack practical feasibility with weak coating stability and low heparin immobilization. Here, a heparinized self‐healing polymer coating with inflammation modulation is introduced through thermal‐initiated radical copolymerization of methacrylate esterified heparin (MA‐heparin) with methyl methacrylate (MMA) and n‐butyl acrylate (nBA), followed by the anchoring of reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐responsive polyoxalate containing vanillyl alcohol (PVAX) onto the coating through esterification. The aspirin, which is readily dissolved in the solution of MMA and nBA, is encapsulated within the coating after copolymerization. The copolymerization of MA‐heparin with MMA and nBA significantly increases the heparin content of the coating, effectively inhibiting thrombosis and rendering the coating self‐healing to help maintain long‐term stability. ROS‐responsive PVAX and aspirin released in a temperature‐dependent manner resist acute and chronic inflammation, respectively. The heparinized self‐healing and inflammation‐modulated polymer coating exhibits the ability to confer long‐term stability and hemocompatibility to blood‐contacting biomedical materials and devices. Statement of significanceSurface engineering for blood‐contacting biomedical devices paves a successful way to reduce thrombotic and inflammatory complications. However, lack of effectiveness, long‐term stability and practical feasibility hinders the development and clinical application of existing strategies. Here we design a heparinized self‐healing and inflammation‐modulated polymer coating, which possesses high heparin level and self‐healing capability to maintain long‐term stability. The polymer coating is practically feasible to varied substrates and demonstrated to manipulate inflammation and prevent thrombosis both in vitro and in vivo. Our work provides a new method to develop coatings for blood‐contacting biomedical materials and devices with long‐term stability and hemocompatibility.