Study of biomacromolecules immobilization onto polyester nanofiber

• Grant number: 08/07960-1
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2009
• Effective date (End): July 31, 2010
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Organic Chemistry
• Principal researcher: Luiz Henrique Catalani
• Grantee: Mariana Carvalho Burrows
• Home Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 05/02855-7 - Synthetic polymers applied to biomaterials, AP.TEM

Abstract

Synthetic polymers coupled with biologically active components on their surface are of great importance for the biomaterials's area. The immobilization of biomacromolecules in devices derived from synthetic polymers may be conducted by means of reaction from surface functional groups or by means of the production of a polyester/biomacromolecule blend. In the specific case of polyesters, the major interest in immobilization of biomacromolecules is to adapt them for applications in medicine, principally for use in engineering tissue and substrates for cellular growth. The biomolecules used are (i) collagen, a protein component of extracellular matrix (ECM) and (ii) heparine, a carbohydrate secreted by joining tissue cells. Collagen enables the increased cellular adhesion to the tissue while the heparine acts as an anti coagulant. The use of conventional PET fibers (e.g. Dacron) enabled and immobilized with collagen for the use of enegeneering tissue is already known and used by the market.This paper proposes studying the production of nanofibers of polyesters such as PET and PBT, by means of electrospinning. In addition we intend to study the immobilization of collagen and heparine by means of (i) production of composite blends of polyester/collagen by means of electrospinning of a solution; (ii) Activation of the surface of electrospun fiber by means of aminolysis, followed by immobilization of heparine. The products of this study will be biomaterials composed of nanofibers that should produce a far superior result compared to similar materials composed of conventional fibers, bearing in mind the increase in surface area, as well as possessing a porosity that favors cellular adhesion. (AU)