Bifunctionalized polyester material for surface treatment and biomodification

Abstract

The invention features a method of treating polyester material to generate functional carboxylic acid and amine groups. These functional groups can be used as sites for covalent bond formation to attach chemical or biological moieties. This bifunctionalized polyester polymer can be used in any medical application in which biocompatible polymers are used.

1 . A composition comprising a polyester polymer functionalized to comprise a chemical group capable of forming a covalent bond with a first compound.  
   
   
       2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said composition is bifunctionalized to comprise a first chemical group and a second chemical group.  
   
   
       3 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein said first chemical group is a carboxylic acid group and said second chemical group is an amine group.  
   
   
       4 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said chemical group comprises a carboxylic acid group.  
   
   
       5 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said chemical group comprises an amine group.  
   
   
       6 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said polyester material is functionalized by treatment with ethylene diamine (EDA).  
   
   
       7 . The composition of  claim 6 , wherein said polyester material is treated by alkaline hydrolysis prior to treatment with EDA.  
   
   
       8 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said first compound comprises a chemical compound or a biologically-active agent.  
   
   
       9 . The composition of  claim 8 , wherein said chemical compound comprises a commercial finish selected from the group consisting of flame retardants, repellents, antistatic agents, and dyes.  
   
   
       10 . The composition of  claim 8 , wherein said biologically-active agent comprises an antimicrobial agent, an antifungal agent, an anti-thrombolytic agent, a thrombolytic agent, an antiviral agent, an antiseptic agent, a growth-promoting agent, or a growth-inhibiting agent.  
   
   
       11 . The composition of  claim 8 , wherein said biologically-active agent comprises a peptide, a polypeptide, a nucleic acid molecule, an antibody, or a small molecule.  
   
   
       12 . The composition of  claim 11 , wherein said polypeptide comprises anti-thrombin, fibronectin, fibrinogen, vitronectin, collagen, streptokinase, urokinase, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), or gamma-interferon.  
   
   
       13 . The composition of  claim 12 , wherein said anti-thrombin is hirudin.  
   
   
       14 . A biocompatible device comprising a bifunctionalized polyester polymer, wherein said bifunctionalized polyester polymer comprises a biologically-active agent that is covalently bonded to said polymer via a carboxylic acid group or an amine group.  
   
   
       15 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein said device is selected from the group consisting of a catheter, a vascular graft, an artificial heart, a blood filter, a pacemaker lead, a heart valve, and a prosthetic graft.  
   
   
       16 . A wound dressing comprising a bifunctionalized polyester polymer covalently bonded to a biologically-active agent via a carboxylic acid group or an amine group.