Surface properties and cell adhesion onto allylamine-plasma and amine-plasma coated glass coverslips

Surface properties of nanoparticles to be used for radioimmunotherapy need to be optimized to allow antibody conjugation while ensuring biocompatibility. We aimed to investigate cell adhesion and proliferation onto different coatings to be used for nanoparticles. C, CH(x) or SiO(x) coatings deposited onto glass coverslips by magnetron deposition as well as nitrogen functionalized materials synthetized using different reactive sputtering conditions and PPAA (plasma polymerized allylamine) coating, were compared. Amine functionalization did increase hydrophilicity in all the materials tested. Biocompatibility was assessed by measuring cell viability, morphology, attachment, spreading, and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion. The results show that C and CN(x) were the most biocompatible substrates while SiO(x) and SiO(x)N(y) were the most toxic materials. PPAA coatings displayed unexpectedly an intermediate biocompatibility. A correlation could be observed between wettability and cell proliferation except for C coated surface, indicating that more complex processes than hydrophilicity alone are taking place that affect cell functions.