Cell interactions with polyelectrolyte multilayer films

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Cell Biology
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) films are versatile for surface modification.
• Understanding cell-material interactions is crucial for biomaterial development.
• Chondrosarcoma cells provide a model for studying cellular responses to novel surfaces.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the short-term interactions of chondrosarcoma cells with PEM films.
• To determine the influence of the film's terminal layer (poly(L-lysine) (PLL) or poly(L-glutamic acid) (PGA)) on cell adhesion.
• To assess the role of serum proteins in mediating cell-PEM film interactions.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of PEM films via alternate adsorption of PLL and PGA.
• Characterization of films and protein adsorption using optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy, quartz crystal microbalance, and zeta potential.
• Measurement of cell detachment forces using the micropipet technique in serum-containing and serum-free media.

Main Results:

• Serum presence significantly reduced chondrosarcoma cell detachment forces on PGA-ending films compared to PLL-ending films.
• Adhesion forces on PLL-ending films decreased with increasing film thickness.
• In serum-free conditions, PLL-ending films exhibited 40-100% higher adhesion forces, while PGA-ending films showed no cellular adherence.
• PGA-ending films inhibited serum protein adsorption, whereas PLL-ending films showed significant protein adsorption.

Conclusions:

• Cell interactions with PEM films are tunable by the terminal layer chemistry.
• The presence of serum proteins modulates cell adhesion to PEM films.
• PEM film thickness and protein adsorption influence cell adhesion, offering strategies for controlling cell-material interfaces.