Polydopamine-Decorated Sticky, Water-Friendly, Biodegradable Polycaprolactone Cell Carriers

A bioinspired adhesive material, polydopamine (pDA), was employed as an interfacial glue to stably immobilize human neural stem cells (hNSCs) on the external surface of biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL) microspheres, thereby serving as versatile key systems that can be used for cell carriers. The pDA decoration on the PCL microspheres has been resulted in robust hNSC immobilization as well as proliferation on their curved surfaces. The pDA coating has transformed the hydrophobic PCL systems toward water-friendly and sticky characteristics, thereby resulting in full dispersion in aqueous solution and stable adherence onto a wet biological surface. Adeno-associated virus, a safe gene vector capable of effectively regulating cell behaviors, can be decorated on the PCL surfaces and delivered efficiently to hNSCs adhered to the microsphere exteriors. These distinctive multiple benefits of the sticky pDA microspheres can provide core technologies that can boost the therapeutic effects of cell therapy approaches.