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＜L-16＞：Life Science

Novel Phosphorus-Based Zwitterionic Compounds Exhibiting Superior Protein Adsorption Resistance under Low-pH Conditions
― Water-Soluble Antithrombogenic Materials with the Ability to Covalently Bind to Metal and Glass Substrates ―

Research Overview

● Challenges in Inhibiting Protein Adsorption on Medical Device Surfaces In recent years, medical devices such as intravascular stents and artificial hearts have been coated with surface materials that exhibit protein adsorption resistance (antithrombogenicity) to reduce the risk of thrombus formation. However, antithrombogenic thin-film materials suitable for placement in narrow blood vessels have not yet been fully established. Polymers of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) (Fig. 1A) are known to exhibit excellent protein adsorption resistance. Nevertheless, a major limitation is their reduced performance under acidic conditions (pH ≤ 3.5), which may locally occur due to inflammation or other pathological processes. ● Technical Solution: Providing Compounds with Superior Protein Adsorption Resistance Our laboratory has developed a novel monomer, MCHP (Fig. 1B), featuring a unique molecular structure in which the positions of the quaternary ammonium cation and phosphate ester groups in the phosphorylcholine moiety of MPC are reversed. This structural modification yields a water-soluble polymer bearing terminal phosphate groups, which enables covalent bonding to glass and metal surfaces to form a monolayer polymer film that imparts protein adsorption resistance to these substrates. Furthermore, the polymer demonstrates excellent compatibility with locally acidic environments, such as inflamed tissues or tumor sites, while maintaining superior protein adsorption resistance over a wide pH range.

Potential Applications and Commercialization Prospects

● Application to Medical Devices Used in Locally Acidic Environments, such as inflamed tissues or areas surrounding tumor cells The polymer derived from the zwitterionic monomer developed in this study remains negatively charged even under acidic conditions (pH ≤ 3.5). Compared with polymers derived from conventional monomers, it exhibits superior antithrombogenicity and biocompatibility over a broader pH range, as demonstrated experimentally (Fig. 2).　Accordingly, this technology is expected to be applicable to artificial blood vessels, stents, ventricular assist devices, and artificial lungs (ECMO), enabling their use in locally acidic regions in vivo, such as sites of inflammation or in the vicinity of cancer cells.   Figure 1.  A. Conventional antithrombogenic monomer  B. Antithrombogenic monomer developed in this study Figure 2. Evaluation of protein adsorption characteristics under different pH conditions

Last updated date：October 15, 2026