Polymer Chemistry and Biomaterials Group, Centre of Macromolecular Chemistry, Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S4, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
Research Group of Organic Chemistry (ORGC), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
Biomacromolecules. 2023 Apr 10;24(4):1638-1647. doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01389. Epub 2023 Mar 22.
In an attempt to mimic nature's ability to adhere cells, PCL is often coated with nature-derived polymers or its surface is functionalized with a cell-binding motif. However, said surface modifications are limited to the material's surface, include multiple steps, and are mediated by harsh conditions. Here, we introduce a single-step strategy toward cell-adhesive polymer networks where thiol-ene chemistry serves a dual purpose. First, alkene-functionalized PCL is crosslinked by means of a multifunctional thiol. Second, by means of a cysteine coupling site, the cell-binding motif C(-linker-)RGD is covalently bound throughout the PCL networks during crosslinking. Moreover, the influence of various linkers (type and length), between the cysteine coupling site and the cell-binding motif RGD, is investigated and the functionalization is assessed by means of static contact angle measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Finally, successful introduction of cell adhesiveness is illustrated for the networks by seeding fibroblasts onto the functionalized PCL networks.
为了模仿自然界黏附细胞的能力，通常将聚己内酯（PCL）涂覆有天然来源的聚合物，或者通过细胞结合基序对其表面进行功能化。然而，这些表面修饰仅限于材料的表面，包括多个步骤，并受到苛刻条件的影响。在这里，我们介绍了一种用于细胞黏附聚合物网络的单步策略，其中硫醇-烯反应同时具有双重用途。首先，通过多功能硫醇使烯基官能化的 PCL 交联。其次，通过半胱氨酸偶联位点，在交联过程中，细胞结合基序 C(-连接子-)RGD 通过共价键结合到整个 PCL 网络中。此外，研究了半胱氨酸偶联位点和细胞结合基序 RGD 之间的各种连接子（类型和长度）的影响，并通过静态接触角测量和 X 射线光电子能谱评估了功能化。最后，通过将成纤维细胞接种到功能化的 PCL 网络上，成功地证明了网络具有细胞黏附性。
