Melt-blown, an environmentally friendly technique, is widely used to create high-quality non-woven fabrics by extruding molten polymer resins into interlaced fibers. In the realm of biomedical textiles, its unique microstructure makes it ideal for filtration and wound dressings. Our study focuses on modifying the surfaces of polypropylene melt-blown membranes. An effective, one-step, suitable, and reliable method to graft a bioactive polymer, sodium polystyrene sulfonate-PolyNaSS, onto the membranes has been developed. The process involves UV irradiation to initiate direct and progressive growth of NaSS over the surface through radical polymerization. To assess the efficiency of the grafting, techniques like colorimetry, water contact angle measurements, Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used. Outcomes related to the grafting were demonstrated by a change in wettability and quantitatively calculated sulfonate groups. Subsequently, grafted PolyNaSS promoted cell adhesion, as evidenced by improved cell morphology. On grafted membranes, fibroblasts exhibited a stretched shape, while non-grafted ones showed inactive round shapes. These findings underscore the chemical and biological reactivity of polypropylene materials, opening exciting possibilities for various applications of melt-blown materials.

Objective: The purpose of this research article is to present the functionalization of a new titanium alloy of the system TiNbZr, by the grafting of a bioactive polymer (poly(sodium styrene sulfonate), PNaSS) using the "grafting from" technique to improve the osseointegration. The resulting grafted polymer is covalently bonded to the substrate in this procedure thanks to surface-induced polymerization. Material and Method: Colorimetric assay, Fourier-transform infrared spectra recorded in attenuated total reflection mode (ATR-FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and water contact angle measurements (WCA) were applied to characterize the surfaces. In addition, the effect of the grafting on the biological response was assessed using MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblast cells line. Results: This study showed that grafting rates obtained on these new alloy are as good (around 4.5 mu g/cm2) as on classical alloys. In parallel, in vitro biological response study was carried out to assess toxicity, cell viability, and morphology on titanium alloys TiNbZr functionalized. Moreover, results showed superior alkaline phosphatase activity and higher calcium deposition on grafted samples, implying a beneficial effect of the PNaSS in osteoinduction activity. Conclusions: Grafted TiNbZr improves the cell response, in particular, the osseointegration.(c) 2023 AGBM. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Objective: The publication aims to characterize the particularities of breast implant outer shells' structure and roughness. Then, it seeks to study the implication of the topography and the type of silicone on the grafting of the bioactive polymer under UV irradiations. Material & methods: PolyNaSS was grafted on silicone surfaces via a radical polymerization under 365 nm UV irradiation. Surface characterizations were accessed using scanning electron microscopy (topography), water contact angle measurements, infrared spectroscopy, and colorimetric assays (grafting density). A viability test was carried with L929 fibroblasts using MTT reagent. Results: Polydiphenylsiloxane (PDPS) has improved the grafting protocol thanks to the reactivity of phenyl groups under UV irradiation compared to polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) but exhibits low viability rates in contact with fibroblasts. Conclusion: The roughness of silicone surfaces or the nature of silicone influence the grafting quality. PDPS could not be considered as an alternative to PDMS from a biological point of view.

Prior to its commercialization, a biomaterial must fulfill the regulation in place. The International Organization for Standardization outlines the requirements needed for a material in order to guarantee safety and quality. In previous work, we have successfully grafted a bioactive polymer known as poly(styrene sodium sulfonate) – (polyNaSS) on silicone breast implants' surfaces using UV irradiation. This paper intends to study the effect of the polyNaSS grafting parameters. It includes the study of (i) the effect of only UV irradiation and (ii) the presence of the polyNaSS grafted silicone on both the mechanical properties of the material and the biological response using the L929 fibroblast cell line for biocompatibility investigations. PolyNaSS aims to overcome the lack of biocompatibility issues, but the grafting process should have a minimal impact on the surface's properties. The tensile strength and swelling tests showed no apparent modification before and after grafting in crosslinking densities and elasticity moduli. That confirms the impactless aspect of the grafting protocol on the material's mechanical properties. Surface roughness was investigated by atomic force microscopy to understand cell behavior on surfaces upon various treatments. Biocompatibility tests showed that the grafting of polyNaSS significantly enhanced cell adhesion and viability compared to a non grafted silicone. Overall, polyNaSS confers a highly suitable surface for fibroblasts, demonstrating their active forms (spindle-shaped). This was assessed by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy.

Proteins adsorption occurs spontaneously on biomaterial upon insertion within the body. The resulting protein layer influences biomaterial biocompatibility through enhanced bio-integration or, on the contrary, adverse reactions. Furthermore, upon adsorption, proteins can undergo modifications of their structure and, ultimately, their physicochemical properties and activity. Hence, the understanding of protein adsorption on implanted materials appears essential, as exemplified by silicone breast prostheses that might lead to serious health issues.Surface modifications with a bioactive polymer, poly(styrene sodium sulfonate)-polyNaSS, on a hydrophobic silicone surface that composes breast implants, have been successfully performed under UV irradiation by a radical surface polymerization. This strategy enhances cell biocompatibility and antibacterial features. Although detailed insights related to the mechanism are still scarce, polyNaSS is supposed to promote changes in the conformation and/or orientation of adsorbed plasma proteins, reducing the odd for a biofilm to form.The present work addresses more in-depth structural investigations of the adsorbed state of two plasma proteins: Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA), as a model protein, and fibronectin (FN), for its role in cell adhesion. Using Atomic force microscopy (AFM), we report that polyNaSS showed no significant impact on the BSA structure conversely to the FN one. However, imaging findings with AFM clearly outlined a change in the structural organization of FN, going from a nano fibrillar assembly with an average length of 130 nm to a globular one when the surface was grafted. Thus, it is highlighted that polyNaSS interacts specifically with FN. In addition, cell spreading assay of L929 fibroblasts on FN-coated surfaces with optical microscopy indicated no significant impact of the change in FN structure upon fibroblasts adhesion, which displayed active elongated shapes. The present features are crucial for understanding the cell adhesion mechanism induced by surface modification.