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Lei Cai1, Jie Lu, Volney Sheen
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States.
Biomacromolecules
|December 31, 2011
Summary
Researchers tuned surface chemistry to enhance nerve cell behavior using methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) monoacrylate (mPEGA) and poly(ε-caprolactone) diacrylate (PCLDA). Optimal nerve cell attachment, spreading, and differentiation occurred at 5-7% mPEGA, suggesting potential for nerve regeneration conduits.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Neuroscience
- Surface Chemistry
Background:
- Developing advanced biomaterials is crucial for nerve tissue engineering.
- Controlling surface properties of materials influences cellular behavior and tissue integration.
- Polymer networks offer tunable platforms for modulating cell-material interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of varying methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) monoacrylate (mPEGA) and poly(ε-caprolactone) diacrylate (PCLDA) compositions on surface chemistry.
- To evaluate the impact of these modified surfaces on the behavior of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and other nerve cell types.
- To establish a foundation for creating functional nerve conduits with controlled surface properties.
Main Methods:
- Photo-cross-linking of mPEGA and PCLDA at different weight compositions (2-30%).
- Characterization of surface wettability, friction, and protein adsorption.
- Assessment of cell attachment, spreading, proliferation, and differentiation of SpL201, PC12, and E14 mouse NPCs.
- Evaluation of neuronal differentiation in NPCs on specific mPEGA/PCLDA compositions.
Main Results:
- Increased mPEGA content improved surface wettability, reduced friction, and decreased protein adsorption due to repulsive PEG chains.
- A nonmonotonic, parabolic relationship was observed between mPEGA composition and nerve cell responses, with optimal attachment, spreading, proliferation, and differentiation at 5-7% mPEGA.
- NPCs showed enhanced neuronal differentiation on the mPEGA/PCLDA network with 5% mPEGA, exhibiting intermediate wettability and surface energy.
Conclusions:
- Tuning the surface chemistry of mPEGA/PCLDA networks via controlled photo-cross-linking effectively modulates nerve cell behavior.
- The identified optimal composition (5-7% mPEGA) promotes neural cell functions, including differentiation.
- This approach enables the fabrication of heterogeneous nerve conduits with compositional gradients to guide nerve regeneration and prevent unwanted fibrous tissue formation.
