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Enhanced smooth muscle cell adhesion and proliferation on protein-modified polycaprolactone-based copolymers
Hanna Bramfeldt1, Patrick Vermette
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Laboratoire de Bioingénierie et de Biophysique de l'Université de Sherbrooke, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.
Journal of Biomedical Materials Research. Part A
|February 29, 2008
Summary
Surface modification of PCL-PEG-PCL copolymers with proteins enhances smooth muscle cell adhesion and proliferation. Covalent immobilization of fibronectin or fibrin on P(100/0) films supports cell growth comparable to controls.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Cell Biology
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Smooth muscle cells (SMC) are crucial for vascular tissue engineering.
- Developing biocompatible materials that promote SMC adhesion and proliferation is essential.
- Copolymer films offer tunable properties for biomedical applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of surface modification on SMC behavior on PCL-PEG-PCL copolymers.
- To compare protein immobilization methods (physisorption vs. covalent coupling).
- To evaluate the impact of copolymer composition on cell response.
Main Methods:
- Culturing SMC on PCL-PEG-PCL (P(100/0)) and P(epsilon-CL-co-D,L-LA)-PEG-P(epsilon-CL-co-D,L-LA) (P(70/30)) copolymer films.
- Surface modification via aminolysis followed by protein (fibronectin, fibrinogen, fibrin) immobilization.
- Assessing cell adhesion and proliferation using cell counting and proliferation assays.
- Immunostaining for smooth muscle alpha-actin to confirm cell phenotype.
Main Results:
- Protein immobilization significantly enhanced SMC adhesion on both copolymer types.
- Covalently immobilized proteins supported greater SMC proliferation than physisorbed proteins over 6 days.
- SMC on P(100/0) films with covalently attached fibronectin or fibrin showed proliferation rates similar to control polystyrene.
- Surface modification was less effective on P(70/30) films, but prewetting improved cell numbers.
- SMC phenotype was preserved on all protein-modified surfaces.
Conclusions:
- Covalent protein immobilization on PCL-PEG-PCL copolymers effectively promotes SMC adhesion and proliferation.
- P(100/0) copolymers demonstrate superior performance for SMC culture compared to P(70/30) under tested conditions.
- Surface prewetting can enhance cell response on less effective copolymer formulations.
- These modified biomaterials show potential for vascular tissue engineering applications.
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