Half-life modeling of basic fibroblast growth factor released from growth factor-eluting polyelectrolyte multilayers

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Cell Biology
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Growth factor-eluting polymer systems are crucial for cell and tissue engineering.
• Accurate measurement of growth factor concentration and understanding their half-lives in cell culture are limited.
• This knowledge gap hinders the precise control of growth factor delivery and its impact on cellular behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the half-life of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2).
• To measure FGF2 release from polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) and establish real-time concentrations.
• To investigate the effect of varying FGF2 concentrations on fibroblast proliferation and behavior.

Main Methods:

• Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to determine FGF2 half-life.
• FGF2 release from PEMs was quantified and modeled to predict concentrations over time.
• CRL-2352 fibroblasts were cultured on PEMs with controlled FGF2 elution for 2 and 4 days.

Main Results:

• FGF2 half-life was determined, enabling prediction of concentrations between 2 and 4 days.
• PEMs assembled at pH 4 released higher FGF2 concentrations (2.67–5.76 ng/mL) compared to pH 5 (0.62–2.12 ng/mL) after 1 hour.
• Improved fibroblast cell count and spreading were observed at 2 days with FGF2-eluting PEMs, with sustained cell count benefits at pH 4 by day 4.

Conclusions:

• The developed half-life model provides a framework for predicting FGF2 concentrations in cell culture.
• Optimal FGF2 concentration ranges for fibroblast proliferation were identified.
• Understanding temporal growth factor concentration is key for optimizing cell and tissue engineering applications.