Synthetic peptides and electric fields combine to improve integration of implants

The use of implanted structures and devices in medicine has become increasingly common in recent decades. However, the biggest problem in this field has been and remains the body's ability to recognise and reject foreign material.

While physicians want their implants to be accepted by the body and – in the case of joint replacements, for example – incorporated into the natural structures, poor integration is a constant risk. Moreover, if infection sets in around the implant, the increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria means that the implant often has to be removed, necessitating more risky surgery.

A team from the Applied Plasma Physics and Surface Engineering Laboratory at the University of Sydney has now developed a method for attaching custom-made peptide molecules – essentially short fragments of proteins – to the surface of implants. This coating, they claim, provides biological signals to the surrounding tissue that suppress the immune response and encourage good integration.