{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,20]],"date-time":"2026-04-20T17:19:56Z","timestamp":1776705596911,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,31]],"date-time":"2022-08-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1661904000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e Tecnologia (FCT)","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["PTDC\/BTM-SAL\/29335\/2017"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PTDC\/BTM-SAL\/29335\/2017"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pharmaceutics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Silicone-based medical devices composed of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) are widely used all over the human body (e.g., urinary stents and catheters, central venous catheters stents) with extreme clinical success. Nevertheless, their abiotic surfaces, being prone to microorganism colonization, are often involved in infection occurrence. Improving PDMS antimicrobial properties by surface functionalization with biosurfactants to prevent related infections has been the goal of different works, but studies that mimic the clinical use of these novel surfaces are missing. This work aims at the biofunctional assessment of PDMS functionalized with rhamnolipids (RLs), using translational tests that more closely mimic the clinical microenvironment. Rhamnolipids were covalently bonded to PDMS, and the obtained surfaces were characterized by contact angle modification assessment, ATR-FTIR analysis and atomic force microscopy imaging. Moreover, a parallel flow chamber was used to assess the Staphylococcus aureus antibiofilm activity of the obtained surfaces under dynamic conditions, and an in vitro characterization with human dermal fibroblast cells in both direct and indirect characterization assays, along with an in vivo subcutaneous implantation assay in the translational rabbit model, was performed. A 1.2 log reduction in S. aureus biofilm was observed after 24 h under flow dynamic conditions. Additionally, functionalized PDMS lessened cell adhesion upon direct contact, while supporting a cytocompatible profile, within an indirect assay. The adequacy of the biological response was further validated upon in vivo subcutaneous tissue implantation. An important step was taken towards biofunctional assessment of RLs-functionalized PDMS, reinforcing their suitability for medical device usage and infection prevention.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pharmaceutics14091836","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,1]],"date-time":"2022-09-01T01:50:51Z","timestamp":1661997051000},"page":"1836","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":10,"title":["Assuring the Biofunctionalization of Silicone Covalently Bonded to Rhamnolipids: Antibiofilm Activity and Biocompatibility"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Ma\u00efssa","family":"Dardouri","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8498-5892","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana","family":"Bettencourt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6910-1705","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Victor","family":"Martin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"BoneLab\u2014Laboratory for Bone Metabolism and Regeneration, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Manuel Pereira da Silva, 4200-393 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"LAQV\/REQUIMTE, University of Porto, Pra\u00e7a Coronel Pacheco, 4050-453 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6088-3894","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Filomena A.","family":"Carvalho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4879-8624","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bruno","family":"Cola\u00e7o","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Science\u2013AL4AnimalS, University of Tr\u00e1s-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Adelina","family":"Gama","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Science\u2013AL4AnimalS, University of Tr\u00e1s-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2646-8501","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Madeleine","family":"Ramstedt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Chemistry, Ume\u00e5 University, 901 87 Ume\u00e5, Sweden"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0580-0475","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nuno C.","family":"Santos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9391-9574","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria H.","family":"Fernandes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"BoneLab\u2014Laboratory for Bone Metabolism and Regeneration, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Manuel Pereira da Silva, 4200-393 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"LAQV\/REQUIMTE, University of Porto, Pra\u00e7a Coronel Pacheco, 4050-453 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5365-2123","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pedro S.","family":"Gomes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"BoneLab\u2014Laboratory for Bone Metabolism and Regeneration, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Manuel Pereira da Silva, 4200-393 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"LAQV\/REQUIMTE, University of Porto, Pra\u00e7a Coronel Pacheco, 4050-453 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7110-6393","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Isabel A. C.","family":"Ribeiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Prof. Gama Pinto, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"50969","DOI":"10.1002\/app.50969","article-title":"Silicone-based Biomaterials for Biomedical Applications: Antimicrobial Strategies and 3D Printing Technologies","volume":"138","author":"Zare","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Appl. Polym. Sci."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102230","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cis.2020.102230","article-title":"A Scope at Antifouling Strategies to Prevent Catheter-Associated Infections","volume":"284","author":"Faustino","year":"2020","journal-title":"Adv. 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