NU 2020-004

INVENTORS

• Jonathan Rivnay*
• Anthony Petty II
• Erin Hsu

SHORT DESCRIPTION

A biomimetic electroactive biomaterial for tissue regeneration

ABSTRACT

Incorporating electroactive components in biomaterials has a significant effect on cellular adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation, as well as allowing for both the possibility of electrical stimulation and sensing to both augment and better understand the environment of regenerating tissue.Achieving complex 3D structures that are beneficial to tissue regeneration which elegantly incorporate the conducting element could lead to a revolution in these types of materials. We have developed a novel,water-soluble conjugated polymer that is capable of covalently binding to collagenic structures, resulting in biohybrid composites with electroactive/conducting character. When this material binds such structures, for example collagen-containing human allograft, the native tissue architecture and presence of native bioactive molecules such as growth factors remain undisturbed. Notably, we have found that the conjugated polymer can bind to demineralized or decellularized human allograft tissue under mild conditions, allowing for the augmentation of this allograft tissue with an electroactive component capable of enhancing the regeneration capacity of the allograft implant.

APPLICATIONS

• Passive (no external electrical bias) promotion of tissue regeneration (nerve, bone, cartilage)
• Active (external electrical bias) promotion of tissue regeneration (nerve, bone cartilage)
• Tissue integrated electrical recording/stimulation (muscle, nerve, brain)

ADVANTAGES

• Covalent functionalization of allograft tissue with conjugated polymers (to our knowledge this has never been demonstrated)
• Use of a water soluble conjugated polymer allows for the possibility of renal clearance of the conducting element in vivo (this is relevant both for allograft tissue as well as for a novel version of an electroactive collagen)

PUBLICATION

Petty A, Keate R, Jiang B, Ameer G and Rivnay J (2020) Conducting Polymers for Tissue Regeneration in Vivo.  Chemistry of Materials.  32: 4095-4115.

IP STATUS

A US patent application has been filed.