Tuning Cell Adhesion by Incorporation of Charged Silicate Nanoparticles as Cross-Linkers to Polyethylene Oxide

• Published in: Macromolecular bioscience Vol. 10; no. 12; pp. 1416 - 1423
• Main Authors: Schexnailder, Patrick J., Gaharwar, Akhilesh K., Bartlett II, Rush L., Seal, Brandon L., Schmidt, Gudrun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 08.12.2010; WILEY‐VCH Verlag
• Subjects: Adhesion; biocompatibility; Cell adhesion; Cell Adhesion - physiology; Cell Proliferation; Cellular; Cross-Linking Reagents - chemistry; Crosslinking; Fibroblasts; layered silicates; Nanocomposites; Nanocomposites - chemistry; Nanomaterials; nanoparticles; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Nanostructure; Nanotechnology - methods; Polyethylene Glycols - chemistry; Silicates; Silicates - chemistry
• ISSN: 1616-5187; 1616-5195; 1616-5195
• DOI: 10.1002/mabi.201000053

Controlling cell adhesion on a biomaterial surface is associated with the long‐term efficacy of an implanted material. Here we connect the material properties of nanocomposite films made from PEO physically cross‐linked with layered silicate nanoparticles (Laponite) to cellular adhesion. Fibroblast cells do not adhere to pure PEO, but they attach to silicate containing nanocomposites. Under aqueous conditions, the films swell and the degree of swelling depends on the nanocomposite composition and film structure. Higher PEO compositions do not support cell proliferation due to little exposed silicate surfaces. Higher silicate compositions do allow significant cell proliferation and spreading. These bio‐nanocomposites have potential for the development of biomedical materials that can control cellular adhesion. Fibroblast growth, adhesion, and spreading can be easily tuned by controlling the PEO to silicate (Laponite) ratio in this nanocomposite system. A dynamic polymer/silicate adsorption/desorption mechanism, along with the changing material properties of samples as the composition changes, describes the range of protein adhesion and thus cell adhesiveness observed. This simple mechanism allows for the further development of this biomaterial for a wide variety of applications.