Precision-porous biomaterials for skin healing

Abstract

Current percutaneous devices often fail due to poor implant integration associated with the foreign body response (FBR). It is hypothesized that 40µm precision-porous biomaterials can inhibit the FBR to percutaneous devices. We investigated both synthetic and natural materials as potential candidates for precision-porous percutaneous device materials. Precision-porous polyurethane (PU) models of a catheter cuff were studied in vivo in a pig model. These PU constructs demonstrated a reduced FBR and better skin healing outcomes than solid implants. Subcutaneous implant models of precision-porous PU further demonstrated the ability of these materials to mitigate the FBR and improve angiogenesis. Analysis of RNA expression in subcutaneous models provided potential insights on the mechanism behind this pro-healing response. In the final component of this work, we investigated biodegradable biomaterials for use in percutaneous healing applications. Non-toxic, biodegradable PUs were developed.