Protein Adsorption and Cellular Adhesion and Activation on Biomedical Polymers

The design and development of new biomedical polymers for clinical application in devices, prostheses, and artificial organs requires a basic and fundamental understanding of biological interactions with biomedical polymers. Efforts in our laboratory have been directed towards appreciating the humoral and cellular interactions which govern protein adsorption and cellular adhesion and activation on biomedical polymers. Information and data are presented on protein adsorption from whole human blood, complement activation and receptors, and monocyte/macrophage adhesion and activation with growth factor release. Supported by experimental evidence, concepts regarding protein/polymer, cell/polymer, cell/protein/polymer, and cell/cell interactions as they are related to in vivo events are presented.