Self-regenerating giant hyaluronan polymer brushes

Wenbin Wei, Jessica L. Faubel, Hemaa Selvakumar, Daniel T. Kovari, Joanna Tsao, Felipe Rivas, Amar T. Mohabir, Michelle Krecker, Elaheh Rahbar, Adam R. Hall, Michael A. Filler, Jennifer L. Washburn, Paul H. Weigel and Jennifer E. Curtis ()
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Wenbin Wei: Georgia Institute of Technology
Jessica L. Faubel: Georgia Institute of Technology
Hemaa Selvakumar: Georgia Institute of Technology
Daniel T. Kovari: Georgia Institute of Technology
Joanna Tsao: Georgia Institute of Technology
Felipe Rivas: Wake Forest School of Medicine
Amar T. Mohabir: Georgia Institute of Technology
Michelle Krecker: Georgia Institute of Technology
Elaheh Rahbar: Wake Forest School of Medicine
Adam R. Hall: Wake Forest School of Medicine
Michael A. Filler: Georgia Institute of Technology
Jennifer L. Washburn: University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Paul H. Weigel: University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Jennifer E. Curtis: Georgia Institute of Technology

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Tailoring interfaces with polymer brushes is a commonly used strategy to create functional materials for numerous applications. Existing methods are limited in brush thickness, the ability to generate high-density brushes of biopolymers, and the potential for regeneration. Here we introduce a scheme to synthesize ultra-thick regenerating hyaluronan polymer brushes using hyaluronan synthase. The platform provides a dynamic interface with tunable brush heights that extend up to 20 microns – two orders of magnitude thicker than standard brushes. The brushes are easily sculpted into micropatterned landscapes by photo-deactivation of the enzyme. Further, they provide a continuous source of megadalton hyaluronan or they can be covalently-stabilized to the surface. Stabilized brushes exhibit superb resistance to biofilms, yet are locally digested by fibroblasts. This brush technology provides opportunities in a range of arenas including regenerating tailorable biointerfaces for implants, wound healing or lubrication as well as fundamental studies of the glycocalyx and polymer physics.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13440-7

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