[Cell proliferation and cellular activity of primary cell cultures of the oral cavity after cell seeding on the surface of a degradable, thermoplastic block copolymer].

Using standard cell biological and biochemical methods we were able to test the ability of a degradable, thermoplastic block copolymer to support the adhesion, proliferation, and the cellular activity of primary cell cultures of the oral cavity in vitro. The delicate balance between a group of endogenous enzymes, Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs), and their inhibitors (Tissue Inhibitor of MMPs, TIMPs) have a decisive function in the remodeling of the extracellular matrix during processes like wound healing or the integration of biomaterials in surrounding tissues after implantation. Recently developed, biodegradable thermoplastic elastomers with shape-memory properties may be the key to develop new therapeutical options in head and neck surgery. Primary cell cultures of the oral cavity of Sprague-Dawley rats were seeded on the surface of a thermoplastic block copolymer and on a polystyrene surface as control. Conditioned media of the primary cells were analyzed for MMPs and TIMPs after different periods of cell growth. The MMP and TIMP expression was analysed by zymography and a radiometric enzyme assay. No statistically significant differences in the appearance and the kinetic of MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-9 and TIMPs were detected between cells grown on the polymer surface compared to the control. An appropriate understanding of the molecular processes that regulate cellular growth and integration of a biomaterial in surrounding tissue is the requirement for an optimal adaptation of biodegradable, polymeric biomaterials to the physiological, anatomical, and surgical conditions in vivo to develop new therapeutic options in otolaryngology and head and neck surgery.