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Nat Mater. 2014 Aug 3.
Singh A1, Corvelli M1, Unterman SA1, Wepasnick KA2, McDonnell P1, Elisseeff JH1.
1Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Wilmer Eye Institute and Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.
2Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA.
Abstract
Lubrication is key for the efficient function of devices and tissues with moving surfaces, such as articulating joints, ocular surfaces and the lungs. Indeed, lubrication dysfunction leads to increased friction and degeneration of these systems. Here, we present a polymer-peptide surface coating platform to non-covalently bind hyaluronic acid (HA), a natural lubricant in the body. Tissue surfaces treated with the HA-binding system exhibited higher lubricity values, and in vivo were able to retain HA in the articular joint and to bind ocular tissue surfaces. Biomaterials-mediated strategies that locally bind and concentrate HA could provide physical and biological benefits when used to treat tissue-lubricating dysfunction and to coat medical devices.
