What’s MPC?
(MPC : 2-Methacryroyloxyethyl Phosphorylcholine)

LIPIDURE^® (MPC polymer)

Cells are the smallest units of a living body and engage in a range of activities to sustain the life of the living body. The cell membrane is the key structure that controls cellular coordination.

MPC is a compound made of the methacrylic group and the phosphorylcholine group.
The methacrylic group is the chain that links to other monomers including MPCs, while the phosphorylcholine group has a phospholipid-related structure that is highly compatible to the human body and can create an artificial surface structure similar to a cell membrane that will not treat the human body as a foreign object.

NOF became the first company in the world to build a commercial plant capable of producing various LIPIDURE^® for different uses.

LIPIDURE® has mainly three effects (1: High hydrophilicity, 2: Reducing cytotoxicity, and 3: Antithrombogenicity).

Hydrophilicity of LIPIDURE^®

The surface which is covered by LIPIDURE^® has a high hydrophilic property.

(Excerpt taken and modified from Takahara, A., et al. (2009). Int. Symp.Nano-bio-Interfaces Rel.Mol.Molecular Mobility. Program and Abstracts Book, 25-26.)

Figure 3 shows the results of evaluating the hydrophilicity of various polymers.
Hydrophilicity is evaluated by measuring the product’s static contact angle.
LIPIDURE^® has a static contact angle of 1° to 3° while other polymers have a static contact angle of 7° to 45°.

Reduction of cytotoxicity by LIPIDURE^®

LIPIDURE^® is a unique material that has the ability to reduce cytotoxicity.

Figure 4 shows the evaluation results of reducing cytotoxicity using various polymers.
The reduction of cytotoxicity is evaluated by measuring cytotoxicity.
Cell viability increased with a higher concentration of LIPIDURE^®, while cell viability did not change even though the concentration of other polymers was increased.

Antithrombogenicity of LIPIDURE^®

LIPIDURE^® can be applied as a coating material for medical devices, and its coating surface has a highly anti-thrombotic property.

(Based on a study conducted by a group led by Prof. Nakabayashi (Professor Emeritus) and Assoc. Prof. Ishihara (Professor at the University of Tokyo) of Tokyo Medical and Dental University, cited from Toshikazu Y. et al. (1998). J. Biomed.Mater.Res., Applied Biomaterials, 41, 15-20.)

Figure 5 shows the results of evaluating the antithrombogenicity of LIPIDURE^®.
The artificial vascular without LIPIDURE^® coating was occluded with thrombus.
The artificial vascular coated with LIPIDURE^® was patent without thrombus.