Corneal epithelial cell growth over tethered-protein/peptide surface-modified hydrogels

✍ Scribed by Jacob, Jean T. ;Rochefort, James R. ;Bi, Jingjing ;Gebhardt, Bryan M.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 321 KB
• Volume: 72B
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0021-9304
• DOI: 10.1002/jbm.b.30131

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the corneal epithelial cell growth rate and adhesion to novel hydrogels with (1) extracellular matrix proteins [fibronectin, laminin, substance P, and insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1)] and (2) peptide sequences [RGD and fibronectin adhesion‐promoting peptide (FAP)] tethered to their surface on poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains. The growth rate to confluence of primary rabbit cornea epithelial cells was compared for plain polymethacrylic acid‐co‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (PHEMA/MAA) hydrogels, PHEMA/MAA hydrogels coated with extracellular matrix proteins or peptides, and PHEMA/MAA hydrogels with tethered extracellular matrix proteins or peptides on the surface. The development of focal adhesions by the epithelial cells grown on the surfaces was determined by F‐actin staining. Little to no epithelial cell growth occurred on the plain hydrogel surfaces throughout the 15‐day culture period. Of the coated hydrogels, only the fibronectin‐coated surfaces showed a significant increase in cell growth compared to plain hydrogels (p < 0.009). However, even these surfaces reached a maximum of only 20% confluence. Laminin, fibronectin adhesion‐promoting peptide (FAP), and fibronectin/laminin (1:1) tether‐modified hydrogels all achieved 100% confluence by the end of the culture period, although the rates at which confluence was reached differed. F‐actin staining showed that focal adhesions were formed for the laminin, FAP, and fibronectin/laminin tether‐modified surfaces. The results support the hypothesis that tethering certain extracellular matrix proteins and/or peptides to the hydrogel surface enhances epithelial cell growth and adhesion, compared with that seen for protein‐coated or plain hydrogel surfaces. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 72B: 198–205, 2005