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All indwelling and implantable medical devices are associated with a risk of infection, and antimicrobial technologies that can provide effective protection against pathogen colonization and biofilm formation over the lifetime of these devices are urgently required. Here, strategies that combine multiple layers of defense have emerged as particularly promising. We have combined a copolymer coating based on 2-hydroxypropyl acrylamide and N-benzophenone acrylamide with novel, optimally sized antimicrobial selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs). The photoreactive polymer allowed the crosslinking and covalent anchoring of the coating in a single step, and the exceptionally low attachment of bacteria was demonstrated. Our results also demonstrated that the incorporation of the antimicrobial Se NPs provides the coating with an additional bactericidal functionality towards the Gram-positive bacteria S. aureus and E. faecalis, which are widely recognized as the most prevalent pathogens linked to medical device-associated infections and more broadly nosocomial infections. The multiple layers of defense provided effective inhibition of the growth of both bacteria strains in areas where the coating had been removed, as well as in the supernatant. Moreover, our results demonstrate the feasibility to modulate the release of Se NPs from the coating by tailoring coating parameters such as the nanoparticle to polymer ratio. Our cytotoxicity study further confirmed the superior biocompatibility of Se NPs compared to the well-established silver nanoparticles over a broad concentration range. Our multifunctional coating approach is expected to be translated into medical device applications due to its ease of manufacture and effective antimicrobial protection.

In article number 2104828, Yaping Chen, Nicolas H. Voelcker, Roey Elnathan, and co-workers demonstrate the fabrication of relatively low-cost and high throughput polymeric nanoneedles from cell culture polystyrene. The nanoneedles with precise geometry are imprinted directly on polystyrene from the cell culture petri dish via nanoimprint lithography. The nanoneedles arrays can precisely manipulate cellular processes and mediate intracellular delivery in mammalian cells. This presents opportunities for novel integration of nanostructures into traditional polymeric cell cultureware.

In article number 2100881, Nicolas H. Voelcker, Jessica E. Frith, Victor J. Cadarso, and co-workers demonstrate a novel approach to imprint micro and nanoscaled topographical features into conventional cell cultureware, facilitating its compatibility with standard biological techniques. This enables high-throughput screening to integrate the effects of surface topographies into unique cell specific responses and fate determination.

Identification of biomarkers in clinical applications for diagnostics at the point-of-care (POC) setting requires the development of industry viable biosensing platform. Herein, we report such development of biosensor architecture for the detection of pharmacogenetic biomarker HLA-B*15:02 gene. The biosensor architecture comprises of an oligonucleotide stem-loop probe modified with a methylene blue redox (MB) reporter, immobilized via a rapid “printing” method on the commercially available disposable screen-printed electrodes (SPE). The square wave voltammetric measurements on the DNA sensor showed a clear peak difference of ∼80 nA with a significant difference in peak height values of the faradaic current generated for the MB redox moiety between the positive control (biotin-modified 19 based oligonucleotides with the sequence mimicking the specific region of the HLA-B*15:02 allele and complementary to the probe sequence) and negative control samples (biotin-modified 19 based oligonucleotides with the sequence unrelated to the probe sequence and the HLA-B*15:02 allele). These initial proof of concept results provide support for the possibility of using this signal-off biosensor architecture in the intended pharmacogenetic biomarker testing.

Tunable vertically aligned nanostructures, usually fabricated using inorganic materials, are powerful nanoscale tools for advanced cellular manipulation. However, nanoscale precision typically requires advanced nanofabrication machinery and involves high manufacturing costs. By contrast, polymeric nanoneedles (NNs) of precise geometry can be produced by replica molding or nanoimprint lithography—rapid, simple, and cost‐effective. Here, cytocompatible polymeric arrays of NNs are engineered with identical topographies but differing stiffness, using polystyrene (PS), SU8, and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). By interfacing the polymeric NN arrays with adherent and suspension mammalian cells, and comparing the cellular responses of each of the three polymeric substrates, the influence of substrate stiffness from topography on cell behavior is decoupled. Notably, the ability of PS, SU8, and PDMS NNs is demonstrated to facilitate mRNA delivery to GPE86 cells with 26.8% ± 3.5%, 33.2% ± 7.4%, and 30.1% ± 4.1% average transfection efficiencies, respectively. Electron microscopy reveals the intricacy of the cell–NN interactions; and immunofluorescence imaging demonstrates that enhanced endocytosis is one of the mechanisms of PS NN‐mediated intracellular delivery, involving the endocytic proteins caveolin‐1 and clathrin heavy chain. The results provide insights into the interfacial interactions between cells and polymeric NNs, and their related intracellular delivery mechanisms.

Staphylococcus capitis is an opportunistic pathogen often implicated in bloodstream infections in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This is assisted by its ability to form biofilms on indwelling central venous catheters (CVC), which are highly resistant to antibiotics and the immune system. We sought to understand the fundamentals of biofilm formation by S. capitis in the NICU, using seventeen clinical isolates including the endemic NRCS-A clone and assessing nine commercial and two modified polystyrene surfaces. S. capitis clinical isolates from the NICU initiated biofilm formation only in response to hyperosmotic conditions, followed by a developmental progression driven by icaADBC expression to establish mature biofilms, with polysaccharide being their major extracellular polymer substance (EPS) matrix component. Physicochemical features of the biomaterial surface, and in particular the level of the element oxygen present on the surface, significantly influenced biofilm development of S. capitis. A lack of highly oxidized carbon species on the surface prevented the immobilization of S. capitis EPS and the formation of mature biofilms. This information provides guidance in regard to the preparation of hyperosmolar total parenteral nutrition and the engineering of CVC surfaces that can minimize the risk of catheter-related bloodstream infections caused by S. capitis in the NICU.

Titanium is a biocompatible material that is frequently used for making implantable medical devices. Nanoengineering of the surface is the common method for increasing material biocompatibility, and while the nanostructured materials are well-known to represent attractive substrata for eukaryotic cells, very little information has been documented about the interaction between mammalian cells and bactericidal nanostructured surfaces. In this study, we investigated the effect of bactericidal titanium nanostructures on PC12 cell attachment and differentiation¿a cell line which has become a widely used in vitro model to study neuronal differentiation. The effects of the nanostructures on the cells were then compared to effects observed when the cells were placed in contact with non-structured titanium. It was found that bactericidal nanostructured surfaces enhanced the attachment of neuron-like cells. In addition, the PC12 cells were able to differentiate on nanostructured surfaces, while the cells on non-structured surfaces were not able to do so. These promising results demonstrate the potential application of bactericidal nanostructured surfaces in biomedical applications such as cochlear and neuronal implants. View

Control over biointerfacial interactions on material surfaces is of significant interest in many biomedical applications and extends from the modulation of protein adsorption and cellular responses to the inhibition of bacterial attachment and biofilm formation. Effective control over biointerfaces is best achieved by reducing nonspecific interactions on the surface while also displaying specific bioactive signals. A poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based multifunctional coating has been developed that provides effective reduction of protein fouling while enabling covalent immobilization of peptides in a one or two-step manner. The highly protein resistant properties of the coating, synthesized via the crosslinking of PEG diepoxide and diaminopropane, are confirmed via europium-labeled fibronectin adsorption and cell attachment assays. The ability to covalently incorporate bioactive signals is demonstrated using the cyclic peptides cRGDfK and cRADfK. L929 cells show enhanced attachment on the biologically active cRGDfK containing surfaces, while the surface remains nonadhesive when the nonbiologically active cRADfK peptide is immobilized. The crosslinked PEG-based coating also demonstrates excellent resistance toward Staphylococcus aureus attachment in a 48 h biofilm assay, achieving a >96% reduction compared to the control surface. Additionally, incorporation of the antimicrobial peptide melimine during coating formation further significantly decreases biofilm formation (>99%).

Cubic phase lyotropic liquid crystalline colloidal dispersions (cubosomes) were surface-modified with seven polyelectrolyte layers using a layer-by-layer (LbL) approach. The first layer consisted of a copolymer synthesized from methacrylic acid and oleoyl methacrylate for enhanced incorporation within the bilayer of the cubic nanostructure. Six additional layers of poly(L-lysine) and poly(methacrylic acid) were then sequentially added, followed by a washing procedure to remove polymer aggregates from the soft matter particles. Polymer buildup was monitored via microelectrophoresis, dynamic light scattering, and small-angle X-ray scattering. Polymer-coated cubosomes were observed with cryo-transmission electron microscopy. A potential application of the modified nanostructured particles presented in this study is to reduce the burst-release effect associated with drug-loaded cubosomes. The effectiveness of this approach was demonstrated through loading and release results from a model hydrophilic small molecule (fluorescein).