Balancing functions of antifouling, nitric oxide release and vascular cell selectivity for enhanced endothelialization of assembled multilayers

Surface endothelialization is a promising way to improve the hemocompatibility of biomaterials. However, current surface endothelialization strategies have limitations. For example, various surface functions are not well balanced, leading to undesirable results, especially when multiple functional components are introduced. In this work, a multifunctional surface was constructed by balancing the functions of antifouling, nitric oxide release and endothelial cell promotion via layer−by−layer self−assembly. Poly(sodium p−styrenesulfonate−co−oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) (negatively charged) and polyethyleneimine (positively charged) were deposited on silicon substrates to construct multilayers by layer−by−layer self−assembly. Then, organic selenium, which has a nitric oxide-releasing function, and the cell-adhesive peptide Gly-Arg-Glu-Asp-Val-Tyr, which selectively promotes endothelial cells, were introduced on the assembled multilayers. Poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) is a hydrophilic component for antifouling properties, and poly(sodium p−styrenesulfonate) is a heparin analog that provides negative charges. By modulating the contents of poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) and poly(sodium p−styrenesulfonate) in the copolymers, the nitric oxide release rates catalyzed by the modified surfaces were regulated. Moreover, the behaviors of endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells on modified surfaces were well controlled. The optimized surface strongly promoted endothelial cells and inhibited smooth muscle cells to achieve endothelialization effectively.