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Tyrosine-Derived Polymeric Surfactants Modulate the Fusion of Normal and Cancer Cells
David I Devore1,2, Dongming Sun3, Iman Tadmori3
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.
Journal of Biomedical Materials Research. Part A
|June 16, 2025
Summary
Polymeric surfactants like PEG and P188 promote cell fusion, aiding tissue repair. Tyrosine-derived copolymers (TyPS) inhibit fusion, potentially combating cancer metastasis.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Cell Biology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Plasma membrane fusion is vital for embryogenesis, tissue repair, and cancer metastasis.
- Polymeric surfactants such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and Poloxamer 188 (P188) can alter cell membrane properties.
- Tyrosine-derived triblock copolymers (TyPS) self-assemble into nanospheres and interact with cell membranes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of phospholipid head group polarity on TyPS insertion into membranes.
- To determine the impact of TyPS, PEG, and P188 on cell fusion in normal and cancer cell lines.
- To correlate surfactant fusogenic/antifusogenic behavior with thermodynamic properties.
Main Methods:
- Langmuir trough analysis of TyPS insertion into phospholipid monolayers.
- In vitro cell culture experiments using L929 fibroblasts and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.
- Assessment of cell fusion induced by TyPS, PEG, and P188, individually and in combination.
Main Results:
- Hydrophobic blocks of polymeric surfactants drive insertion into phospholipid membranes.
- PEG induces cell fusion; PEG and P188 show strong synergistic fusion enhancement.
- TyPS strongly inhibits both spontaneous and PEG-induced cell fusion; P188 shows a weaker inhibitory effect.
- Surfactant fusogenicity correlates with Hansen solubility parameters.
Conclusions:
- PEG and P188 mixtures show potential for enhancing tissue repair and antibody production.
- TyPS's anti-fusion properties suggest potential applications in inhibiting cancer metastasis.
- Synthetic tunability of TyPS offers broader hydrophobicity control than commercial Poloxamers.
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