Development of Poly (pro-curcumin) Polymer Coatings to Improve Cortical Electrode Biocompatibility

This application aims to create innovative polymer coatings to improve intracortical microelectrode biocompatibility. Following intracortical microelectrode implantation, an inflammatory response leads to neuronal loss and the formation of a glial scar around the implant. The loss of neurons and the formation of the glial scar lead to diminished recordings of nearby neurons over time. Biomaterial coatings have the potential of mitigating the inflammatory and glial scarring response. However, drug release from these biomaterials occurs over short durations (hours/days) and many drug-releasing material coatings are mechanically stiff. We seek to increase the duration of release while reducing the mechanical stiffness of coatings to improve intracortical microelectrode biocompatibility. Over the past several years, our groups have created high molecular weight poly(pro-drug) polymer coatings fabricated from curcumin. Thin films or coatings enable long-lasting release of curcumin (several weeks to months of release), and the coatings are significantly less stiff than microelectrode materials. In pilot studies, poly(pro-curcumin) polymer coatings greatly reduce the lesion size following intracortical implantation, demonstrating the potential promise of our approach. Our guiding hypothesis is that the creation of poly(pro- drug) polymer coatings from curcumin increase neuroprotection to improve the long-term recording capability of electrodes. This project is likely to make significant contributions by developing new biomaterial coatings capable of releasing drug over longer durations. These new poly(pro-drug) polymers could potentially lead to paradigm shifts in both biomaterials and neuroscience research for the treatment of injury following central nervous system injury. More specifically, this project would impact the field of neural recording by enabling longer-term recording, potentially enhancing neuroprosthetic interfaces for Veterans suffering from central nervous system related paralysis.