Novel poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid) nanofibrous biomaterials for peptide synthesis and biomedical applications

Poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid) (PE-co-AA) fibers in sizes of 200-500 nm were prepared by using a novel melt-extrusion-extraction fabrication process. The thermoplastic nanofibers could be controllably dispersed and reassembled by a novel solvent exchange filtration method. The dispersed PE-co-AA nanofibers possess active surface areas and could directly conduct chemical reactions on surfaces. Surface modifications and organic synthesis on the nanofibers were proven effective and controllable after the dispersion. Multistep synthesis of biomolecules, such as peptide ligand HWRGWV against Fc portion of human IgG, was successful. The surface-anchored ligand has shown bioactivity through selective binding to and staining by human IgG-alkaline phosphatase conjugate. Another peptide, LXY3, a selective cyclic peptide ligand against alpha3beta1 integrin of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, was also prepared on the surfaces of the dispersed nanofibers. The results showed that MDA-MB-231 cells were able to specifically bind to and grow on surfaces of the nanofibers that were functionalized with LXY3.