Mass-spectrometric Identification of Proteins and Pathways Responsible for fouling on Poly(ethylene glycol) Methacrylate Polymer Brushes.

Prevention of fouling from proteins in blood plasma has attracted significant efforts and great progress has been made in identifying surface coatings that display antifouling properties. In particular, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) has been widely used and dense PEG-like cylindrical brushes of poly[oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate] (poly(OEGMA)) can drastically reduce blood plasma fouling. Herein, we report a comprehensive study of the variation of blood plasma fouling on this surface, including the analysis of the composition of protein deposits on poly(OEGMA) coatings after contact with blood plasma from many different donors. Correlation between the plasma fouling behavior and protein deposit composition points to the activation of the complement system as the main culprit of dramatically increased and accelerated deposition of blood plasma proteins on this type of antifouling coating, specifically through the classical pathway. These findings are consistent with observations on PEGylated drug carriers and highlight the importance of understanding the potential interactions between antifouling coatings and their environment. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.