Surface chemical modification of poly(dimethylsiloxane) for the enhanced adhesion and proliferation of mesenchymal stem cells

The surface chemistry of materials has an interactive influence on cell behavior. The optimal adhesion of mammalian cells is critical in determining the cell viability and proliferation on substrate surfaces. Because of the inherent high hydrophobicity of a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) surface, cell culture on these surfaces is unfavorable, causing cells to eventually dislodge from the surface. Although physically adsorbed matrix proteins can promote initial cell adhesion, this effect is usually short-lived. Here, (3-aminopropyl)triethoxy silane (APTES) and cross-linker glutaraldehyde (GA) chemistry was employed to immobilize either fibronectin (FN) or collagen type 1 (C1) on PDMS. The efficiency of these surfaces to support the adhesion and viability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) was analyzed. The hydrophobicity of the native PDMS decreased significantly with the mentioned surface functionalization. The adhesion of MSCs was mostly favorable on chemically modified PDMS surfaces with APTES + GA + protein. Additionally, the spreading area of MSCs was significantly higher on APTES + GA + C1 surfaces than on other unmodified/modified PDMS surfaces with C1 adsorption. However, there were no significant differences in the MSC spreading area on the unmodified/modified PDMS surfaces with FN adsorption. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in cell proliferation on the PDMS surface with APTES + GA + protein functionalization as compared to the PDMS surface with protein adsorption only. Therefore, the covalent surface chemical modification of PDMS with APTES + GA + protein could offer a more biocompatible platform for the enhanced adhesion and proliferation of MSCs. Similar strategies can be applied for other substrates and cell lines by appropriate combinations of self-assembly monolayers (SAMs) and extracellular matrix proteins.