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Truly nonionic polymer shells for the encapsulation of living cells
Jessica L Carter1, Irina Drachuk, Svetlana Harbaugh
1School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
Macromolecular Bioscience
|July 6, 2011
Summary
We developed novel, nonionic polymer coatings for engineering cell surfaces. These coatings protect cells from harm, significantly improving cell viability to 94% without affecting long-term growth.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Cell Engineering
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Cell surface engineering is crucial for mediating communication and protection.
- Conventional layer-by-layer (LbL) coatings often use cationic components that can be cytotoxic.
- Improving cell viability within protective coatings remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop truly nonionic, hydrogen-bonded LbL coatings for cell surface engineering.
- To assess the impact of nonionic coatings on cell viability and long-term growth.
- To demonstrate a protective cell encapsulation method without cytotoxic pre-layers.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of ultrathin, highly permeable polymer membranes on living cells.
- Utilizing nonionic hydrogen-bonded interactions for LbL assembly, omitting cationic components.
- Comparative analysis of cell viability and growth in nonionic vs. electrostatically bonded LbL shells.
Main Results:
- Achieved 94% cell viability with nonionic LbL coatings, a significant increase from 20% with electrostatically bonded shells.
- Demonstrated that the nonionic coatings do not impede long-term cell growth.
- Successfully constructed stable, permeable polymer membranes on living cells.
Conclusions:
- Truly nonionic hydrogen-bonded LbL coatings offer a superior method for cell surface engineering.
- This approach dramatically enhances cell viability by avoiding cytotoxic pre-layers.
- The developed coatings provide effective protection for cells in hostile environments without compromising function.
