Teator | Faculty Fellow Pilot Project

Project Title

Functional Polymers as a Synthetic Alternative to Silicone-Based Breast Implants

Project Leader

Aaron Teator, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry

Project Summary

Roughly 13% of women in the United States will be diagnosed with some form of breast cancer, with the majority (~70%) treated, in part, through unilateral or bilateral mastectomy. A significant number (60+ %) of these patients seek implant reconstruction post-mastectomy. Since 2006, the only FDA-approved shell material for surgical breast implants is cross-linked poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS). This material exhibits a hydrophobic surface that often leads microbial infections and biofilm growth. The result is poor tissue-material biocompatibility that leads to significant issues in over one-third of recipients, including necrosis, hematoma, calcification, and capsular contracture. Adverse effects appear more often for those receiving reconstructive implantation as opposed to cosmetic, though the exact cause remains unclear. A significant opportunity exists to develop new synthetic materials for breast implants that alleviate the above-described concerns.

The overall objective of this project is to prepare, evaluate, and optimize a new class of mechanically robust, antimicrobial polymers through post-polymerization modification of the biocompatible polymer poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM). Preliminary data obtained by the Principal Investigator suggests that the amide activation platform pioneered by the research group provides an effective synthetic approach to accessing the targeted materials. This strategy has already proven successful for structurally related polymers and is expected to translate directly to PNIPAM. The overarching hypothesis to be tested is that quaternized poly (NIPAM-co-allyl amine) random copolymers will exhibit antimicrobial behavior while maintaining tunable thermomechanical properties appropriate for use as implant shell materials.

Over the course of this program, we expect to address an urgent need in women's health by targeting a replacement for the only FDA-approved material currently used in surgical breast implants, which exhibits poor biocompatibility and leads to complications in a large percentage of patients. In addition, we expect to generate fundamental data that will support future long-term studies. By combining our synthetic chemistry expertise with emerging data science tools, this project is positioned to make meaningful contributions to the development of next-generation implant materials.