The first step in many of adverse host responses to an implanted device is protein adsorption on the surface of the implanted material followed subsequently followed by cellular responses such as the release of inflammatory cytokines. Our proposed approach to prevent protein and cell adhesion (i.e. biofouling) on devices will use magnetostrictive or electrostrictive nanowire arrays. We hypothesize that the needle-like structure of the nanowire array, and the ability to vibrate the nanowire array in response to an applied field, will prevent biofouling. We will combine these nanostructures with nanometer scale polymer grafts to generate magnetostrictive or electrostrictive hybrid organic/inorganic nanostructures that inhibit biofouling. To test our hypothesis, we will fabricate magnetostrictive and electrostrictive nanowire arrays and study protein adsorption on these materials as a function of the nanowire density and length. These will be studied for both vibrating and non-vibrating nanowire arrays. To potentially enhance the ability of nanowire arrays to resist protein adsorption, we will graft derivatives of poly(acrylic acid) and poly(ethylene glycol) onto these nanowires and study protein adsorption onto these materials in both the non-vibrating and vibrating states. The adhesion to both inorganic and hybrid organic/inorganic nanowire arrays and the subsequent morphology of fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and macrophages will be also studied.
