University of Pittsburgh researchers have developed an antioxidant coating (OXI-DENT) to prevent inflammation around implanted medical devices. With the inclusion of a metalloporphyrin based on superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimics in the coating, the antioxidant properties of the coating can be controlled through modification of the SOD mimics (SODm). These novel coatings could reduce inflammation around medical and dental implants in the body, preventing tissue or neuron death. The coatings act as catalysts for free radical scavenging and can be “self-renewing,” potentially with lifetime activity, reducing the need for systemic anti-inflammatory therapies.
A. self-renewing SODm based coating, OXI-DENT has been developed to act as anti-bacterial agents and reduce inflammation around medical implants. Derivatives of SODm can be used to control the antioxidant activity of the coating depending on the patients need.
Description
Medical implants have a variety of uses, from dental implants to electrodes for brain-computer-interfaces (neural implants). However, the efficacy of implants can be impacted by inflammation in the locality of the implant, leading to tissue damage. In the case of neural implants, this can lead to neuronal death and potentially the development of neurodegeneration. With increasing uses for implants, including neural application, there is a need to develop strategies to reduce inflammation and associated cell death around implants. OXI-Dent could revolutionize the field of neural implants allowing for devices to be used in the brain without the risk of inflammation and associated complications.
Applications
- Dental surgery
- Neural implant surgery
- Medical device insertion
Advantages
Inflammation around a medical device is a result of oxidative stress. In healthy tissue, SOD enzymes can control oxidative stress in the body. Exogenous SOD is unsuitable as a treatment for oxidative stress due to challenges including poor stability, poor bioavailability, and immunogenicity. Recent research has suggested SODm could be an alternative strategy.
These novel coatings are based on SODm derivatives immobilized on a silicon surface (iSODm). The coating can reduce oxidative stress and associated tissue damage following implant insertion, improving cell survivability. This direct approach could reduce the need for systemic anti-inflammatory treatment approaches, which can also have adverse effects. Additionally, these novel iSODm derivatives have biologically relevant redox potentials and as such could be “self-renewing” leading to lifetime activity.
Invention Readiness
A coating has been developed and synthesized based on a novel derivative of a manganese-based metalloporphyrin, the first coating to incorporate a highly potent superoxide antioxidant. In vivo experiments demonstrated these coatings could decrease the oxidative environment around implant material, and lead to improvements in cell survivability with the potential to prevent implant failure and the associated complications.
IP Status
https://patents.google.com/patent/US10858381B2/en?oq=10858381
