Dual network hydrogel coatings based on recombinant mussel protein with enhanced antibacterial and super-lubrication properties for urinary catheter applications

Hydrogels are being widely used in medical catheter coatings to reduce the pain caused by friction owing to their excellent hydrophilicity and suppleness. However, hydrogels also exhibit a high swelling ratio and wettability, which often causes the coating to fall off the substrate and the occurrence of urinary tract infection (UTI). Developing a hydrogel coating that can stably bind to catheters and prevent UTIs remains a challenge. In this study, one kind of dual network hydrogel coating (PPM) was developed by a chemically crosslinked network based on polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-polyethylene glycol acrylate (PEGDA) and a physical network based on recombinant mussel protein (MFP-5). Benefitting from MFP's biomimetic adhesion characteristic and antibacterial activity, the PPM showed superior antibacterial capacity with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 500 µg/mL and super-lubrication properties with a friction coefficient less than 0.05 in 100 continuous friction cycle tests for urinary catheter applications. This design concept of coupling the covalently cross-linked hydrogel with MFP-inspired interface adhesion integration provides a new avenue for developing antibacterial and lubricant medical coatings.