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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: GR/L88054/01
Title: SURFACE ENGINEERING OF BIODEGRADABLE POLYMERS TO CREATE BIOMIMETIC MATERIALS
Principal Investigator: Shakesheff, Professor K
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
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Department: Sch of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Organisation: University of Nottingham
Scheme: Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts: 20 April 1998 Ends: 19 April 2001 Value (£): 169,339
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Summary on Grant Application Form
A novel surface engineering strategy will be developed that allows precise quantities of biomolecular ligands to be presented at surfaces of biomaterials fabricated from poly(lactic acid) (PLA). This surface engineering will create biometic materials that udergo molecular interactions with cells within biological systems. These biomimetic materials could advance many medical treatments that employ biomaterials, including human tissue regeneration. However, the complexity of surfaces required demands that a new surface engineering strategy is developed that can generate multi-functional biomimetic surfaces. The strategy described in this application utilises the formation of surface physical interpenetrating networks to introduce precise quantities of functional groups into PLA surfaces. These groups will then be used to covalently couple biomolecular ligands. The ability to form multifunctional surfaces using this strategy will be proven by immobilising precise quantities of two ligands, an RGD-containing peptide and a galactose-terminated poly(ethylene glycol). Biometic activity of these surfaces will be proven by measurement of the differential adhesion of hepatocytes and endothelial cells to this surface. This differential adhesion will be used as the foundation for the generation of artificial human livers in which hepatocyte functioning is optimised by receptor mediated interaction with the biomimetic surface and neighbouring endothelial cells.
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Organisation Website: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk