Cell growth on insulin/RGDS-coimmobilized poly(methyl methacrylate) films

The tetrapeptide, Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS), which corresponds to a core sequence of cell adhesion proteins, was coimmobilized with insulin on to surface-hydrolyzed poly(methyl methacrylate) film. Adhesion of STO mouse fibroblast cells was enhanced by the immobilization of RGDS, but not of insulin. On the other hand, growth of the cells was accelerated by the insulin immobilization, but not by the RGDS immobilization. Coimmobilization of insulin and RGDS did not affect cell adhesion but accelerated cell growth remarkably. This acceleration effect is considered to be attributable to a prolonged interaction of immobilized insulin and insulin receptor by adhesion enhancement, and to a postulated interaction between activated insulin receptor and integrin.