Thomas A. Horbett, Professor Emeritus
Joint with Chemical Engineering
Research Themes:
Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine
Molecular and Cellular Engineering
Education
PhD (biochemistry), University of Washington, 1970Research Interests
- Interaction of cells and proteins with foreign materials
- Drug delivery from biomaterials
Contact Information
Department of BioengineeringUniversity of Washington
Box 355061
William H. Foege Building, Room N310H
Phone: 206-685-1392
Fax: 206-543-3778
Research Description
The projects under way in the Horbett lab reflect longstanding interests in the fundamental response of tissues to implanted polymeric biomaterials. Activities include:- Proteins at interfaces. Protein adsorption is intimately involved in blood clotting and foreign body reactions to implanted prosthetic materials, optimization of substrates used to grow cells in culture, contact lens clouding, and many other biological phenomena at interfaces. The Horbett labhas a long history of research focused on the behavior of proteins at the solid/liquid interface of biomedically relevant polymers. Our recent work has focused on: 1. Prevention of protein uptake with ultralow adsorption non-fouling surfaces. 2. Design criteria for biocompatible surfaces based on adsorbed proteins. 3. The roles of von Willebrand factor and fibrinogen adsorption to biomaterials in shear mediated platelet adhesion.
- Cell interactions with surfaces. Biocompatibility of implants, the growth of cells in culture, and indeed even our own existence depends on the fact that most cells prefer to exist on some kind of extracellular support, to which they bind through a wide variety of specific adhesion receptors on the cell surface. The mechanisms by which the surface properties of polymeric biomaterialscontrol cell behavior via the adhesion receptors and attachment factors are being studied extensively in our labs. Our most recent studies on platelets focused on the relative importance of fibrinogen and von Willebrand factor in adhesion under shear flow, and on developing design criteria for non-fouling surfaces for these proteins that must be met in order to prevent adhesion.Our recent studies with monocytes focused on mechanisms that may explain the unexpected foreign body reaction to PEO-like nonfouling surfaces made by plasma deposition of tetraglyme. The new studies showed these materials were more adsorptive to fibrinogen than we had thought when studied under higher fibrinogen concentrations that occur in vivo, that they activate complement, and that complement adsorption to them seems to play an important role in monocyte adhesion.
Teaching Activities
- BIOEN 490: Biomaterials
- BIOEN 491: Controlled Release
- BIOEN 586: Tissue Engineering
- BIOEN 511: Biomaterials Seminar
- BIOEN 577: Cell and Protein Reactions
- BIOEN 590: Advanced Biomaterials
Honors and Awards
- 1989, Clemson Award for Basic Research, Society for Biomaterials
- 1989, Distinguished Lecturer in Controlled Drug Delivery, College of Pharmacy, Rutgers University
- 1995 Fellow, American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering
- 1996 Fellow, Biomaterials Science and Engineering (FBSE) of the World Biomaterials Congress
Professional Experience
- 1961-65 New York Regents Scholarship, Biochemistry, SUNY Forestry, Syracuse, NY
- 1961-70 National Institutes of Health, Predoctoral Traineeship, Biochemistry
- 1970-71 National Institutes of Health, Senior Fellow, Biochemistry
- 1971-72 National Institutes of Health, Postdoctoral Traineeship
- 1973-75 Research Associate, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington
- 1975-79 Research Assistant Professor, Departments of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, University of Washington
- 1979-85 Research Associate Professor, Departments of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, University of Washington
- 1985-88 Research Professor, Departments of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, University of Washington
- 1988-present Professor, Departments of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, University of Washington
Selected Publications
- "Tetraglyme Coatings Reduce Fibrinogen and von Willebrand’s Factor Adsorption and Platelet Adhesion under Both Static and Flow Conditions", M. Zhang, T. A. Horbett. J. Biomed. Mater. Res. 89A, 791-803 (2009).
- "The effect of adsorbed von Willebrand's factor and fibrinogen on platelet interactions with synthetic materials under flow conditions", Y. Wu, M. Zhang, K. Hauch, T. Horbett. J. Biomed. Mater. Res., 85A: 829–839(2008).
- "Fibrinogen and von Willebrand’s Factor Mediated Platelet Adhesion to Polystyrene under Flow Conditions", M. Zhang, Y. Wu, K. Hauch, T. A. Horbett; J. Biomaterials Science, Polymer Edition 19:1383-1410(2008).
- "Plasma Deposition of Tetraglyme Inside Small Diameter Tubing: Optimization and Characterization", L. Cao, B. D. Ratner, T. A. Horbett. J. Biomed. Mater. Res., 81(1):12-23 (2007).
- "Passivating Protein Coatings for Implantable Glucose Sensors: Evaluation of Protein Retention Geelhood, S. J., Horbett, T. A, Ward, W. K, Wood, M.D., Quinn, M. J. J. Applied Biomaterials; 81(1):251-60 (2007).
- "Plasma Deposited Tetraglyme Surfaces Greatly Reduce Total Blood Protein Adsorption, Contact Activation, Platelet Adhesion, Platelet Procoagulant Activity, and In Vitro Thrombus Deposition". L. Cao, M. Chang, C-Y. Lee, D. Castner, S. Sukavaneshvar, B. D. Ratner, T. A. Horbett. J. Biomed. Mater. Res. 81A, 827-837 (2007).
- "Glow Discharge Plasma Treatment of Polyethylene Tubing with Tetraglyme Results in Ultralow Fibrinogen Adsorption and Greatly Reduced Platelet Adhesion". L. Cao, B. D. Ratner, T. A. Horbett. J. Biomed. Mater. Res., 79A, 788-803 (2006).
- "The role of adsorbed fibrinogen in platelet adhesion to polyurethane surfaces: A comparison of surface hydrophobicity, protein adsorption, monoclonal antibody binding, and platelet adhesion”. Y. Wu, F. I. Simonovsky, B. D. Ratner, T. A. Horbett. J. Biomed Mater. Res.74A, 722–738(2005).