Dr. Yifeng Lei, Associate Professor, The Institute of Technological Sciences, Wuhan University, China

Speech Title: Surface modification with ferritin nanoparticles to modulate the biocompatibility and performance of implanted glucose sensors

Abstract: Implanted continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system provides real-time glucose information for diabetic patients. However, the CMG sensors show a rapid decline in analytical performance in vivo due to the foreign body responses. Improving the biocompatibility and function are key challenges in clinical use of CGMs. In this study, we aim to modify the surface of CGM sensors in order to increase the biocompatibility and sensor performance. Dexamethasone (DEX) was loaded into ferritin nanoparticles (Ft NPs) during the denaturation and renaturation of protein (Ft-Dex NPs). Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) containing Ft-Dex NPs was casted onto the surface of glucose sensors by freezing/thawing methods. Sensor performance was evaluated in vitro and in vivo in rat. Tissue reactivity was evaluated with standard histological analyses. In vitro evaluation showed the surface modification inhibited the inflammatory cell adhesion, with no change on glucose sensor function. The modified implants decreased the inflammatory responses, reduced the fibrous encapsulation of implants in vivo, and enhanced the sensor performance in vivo. The results correlate with the controlled release of dexamethasone from the modified surface. We report a possible benefit for long-term glucose sensor performance. The controlled release of dexamethasone with nanoparticles increases the biocompatibility and performance of implanted CGM sensors. This study may lead to the implantable sensors that exhibit reduced bio-fouling and improved analytical performance.

Keywords: surface modification, foreign body response, glucose sensor, analytical performance