New Biomaterial As A Promising Alternative To Silicone Breast Implants
arborescent; biocompatibility; Biopolymers; block-copolymers; Breast implants; elastomers; Engineering; Histological study; in-vivo; Materials Science; mechanical-properties; polyisobutylene-based biomaterials; polystyrene; prostheses; rupture; SIBS; thermoplastic; women
One in eight American women develops breast cancer. Of the many patients requiring mastectomy yearly as a consequence, most elect some form of breast reconstruction. Since 2006, only silicone breast implants have been approved by the FDA for the public use. Unfortunately, over one-third of women with these implants experience complications as a result of tissue-material biocompatibility issues, which may include capsular contracture, calcification, hematoma, necrosis and implant rupture. Our group has been working on developing alternatives to silicone. Linear triblock poly(styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene) (SIBS) polymers are self-assembling nanostructured thermoplastic rubbers, already in clinical practice as drug eluting stent coatings. New generations with a branched (arborescent or dendritic) polyisobutylene core show promising potential as a biomaterial alternative to silicone rubber. The purpose of this pre-clinical research was to evaluate the material-tissue interactions of a new arborescent block copolymer (TPE1) in a rabbit implantation model compared to a linear SIBS (SIBSTAR 103T) and silicone rubber. This study is the first to compare the molecular weight and molecular weight distribution, tensile properties and histological evaluation of arborescent SIBS-type materials with silicone rubber before implantation and after explantation. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Lim G T; Valente S A; Hart-Spicer C R; Evancho-Chapman M M; Puskas J E; Horne W I; Schmidt S P
Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials
2013
2013-05
Journal Article or Conference Abstract Publication
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmbbm.2013.01.025" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1016/j.jmbbm.2013.01.025</a>
Highly Hydrophobic Electrospun Fiber Mats From Polyisobutylene-based Thermoplastic Elastomers
arborescent; architecture; Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; block-copolymers; Chemistry; coatings; drug-eluting stent; nanofibers; Polymer Science; surfaces
This paper is the first report of electrospinning neat polyisobutylene-based thermoplastic elastomers. Two generations of these materials are investigated: a linear poly(styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene) (LSIBS) triblock copolymer and a dendritic poly(isobutylene-b-p-methylstyrene) (DIB-MS), also a candidate for biomedical applications. Cross-polarized optical microscopy shows birefringence, indicating orientation in the electrospun fibers, which undergo large elongation and shear during electrospinning. In contrast to the circular cross section of LSIBS fibers, DIB-MS yields dumbbell-shaped fiber cross sections for the combination of processing conditions, molecular weight, and architecture. Hydrophobic surfaces with a water contact angle as high as 146 +/- 30 degrees were obtained with DIB-MS that had the noncircular fiber cross section and a hierarchical arrangement of nano- to micrometer-sized fibers in the mat. These highly water repellent fiber mats were found to serve as an excellent scaffold for bovine chondrocytes to produce cartilage tissue.
Lim G T; Puskas J E; Reneker D H; Jakli A; Horton W E
Biomacromolecules
2011
2011-05
Journal Article or Conference Abstract Publication
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1021/bm200157b" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1021/bm200157b</a>