Plasma treatment of expanded PTFE offers a way to a biofunctionalization of its surface

Biointegration is the ideal outcome which is expected for an artificial implant. That means that the phenomena which seats at the interface between the implant and the host tissues does not induce neither any deleterious effect, such as chronic inflammatory response, nor the formation of unusual tissues. Thus it is of paramount importance to design biomaterials, used for the fabrication of implants, with the best appropriate surface properties. At the same time these biomaterials must feature bulk properties which meet other requirements, especially mechanical properties, deriving from the intended function of the implant in which they are involved. As it is quite impossible to design biomaterials which fulfil at the same time both types of requirements, it is commonly agreed that the solution to this issue goes through the selection or the design of biomaterials with adequate bulk properties, and a further treatment of the surface which would improve the properties of the latter. In this respect ionizing radiations and plasma based treatments, offer a wide panel of possibilities; as an example we describe here how the surface of expanded poly(tetrafluoroethylene) samples can be activated using cold plasma, in order to open a way to chemical modifications of such a surface. Subsequently, Radio Frequency Glow Discharge (RFGD) containing oligopeptides, known for their role in mediating the adhesion of cells to the extracellular matrix, were bound to the modified surface, and the affinity of endothelial cells for the latter was investigated. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.