Control of cell surface and functions by layer-by-layer nanofilms

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Cell Biology
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Controlling the cell surface microenvironment is crucial for regulating cell functions.
• Traditional methods often involve preparing films on substrates, which may not accurately mimic in vivo conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the direct preparation of nanometer-sized multilayers onto mouse fibroblast cells using layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly.
• To evaluate the impact of different LbL nanofilm compositions and morphologies on cell viability, morphology, and proliferation.

Main Methods:

• Layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly technique to create nanometer-sized multilayers directly on L929 fibroblast cells.
• Utilized polyelectrolyte (PE) multilayers and fibronectin (FN)-based multilayers (FN films).
• Assessed cell morphology, viability, and proliferation using microscopy (fluorescence and scanning electron) and cell culture techniques.

Main Results:

• LbL nanofilms significantly affected cell morphology and growth.
• PE multilayers induced rounded cell shapes, while FN films promoted extended morphologies similar to control cells.
• FN films supported cell proliferation, whereas PE films did not, despite cell survival.
• FN films formed a nanometer-sized meshwork on the cell surface, resembling the extracellular matrix, unlike the homogeneous PE films.

Conclusions:

• The components, charge, and morphology of LbL nanofilms applied directly to cell surfaces profoundly influence cell functions.
• LbL nanofilms with FN-binding domain interactions (FN films) promote cell proliferation and adopt extracellular matrix-like nanostructures.
• Directly preparing LbL nanofilms on cell surfaces is a novel technique for controlling cell functions, offering different outcomes compared to substrate-based films.