Yasuhiko Iwasaki and Kazuhiko Ishihara 2012 Sci. Technol. Adv. Mater. 13 064101 doi:10.1088/1468-6996/13/6/064101
Yasuhiko Iwasaki1 and Kazuhiko Ishihara2
Show affiliationsTopical Review
This review article describes fundamental aspects of cell membrane-inspired phospholipid polymers and their usefulness in the development of medical devices. Since the early 1990s, polymers composed of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) units have been considered in the preparation of biomaterials. MPC polymers can provide an artificial cell membrane structure at the surface and serve as excellent biointerfaces between artificial and biological systems. They have also been applied in the surface modification of some medical devices including long-term implantable artificial organs. An MPC polymer biointerface can suppress unfavorable biological reactions such as protein adsorption and cell adhesion – in other words, specific biomolecules immobilized on an MPC polymer surface retain their original functions. MPC polymers are also being increasingly used for creating biointerfaces with artificial cell membrane structures.
87.16.D- Membranes, bilayers, and vesicles
Issue 6 (December 2012)
Received 29 June 2012, accepted for publication 6 September 2012
Published 18 October 2012
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Yasuhiko Iwasaki and Kazuhiko Ishihara 2012 Sci. Technol. Adv. Mater. 13 064101