AVS 47th International Symposium
    Biomaterial Interfaces Tuesday Sessions
       Session BI+EL-TuA

Paper BI+EL-TuA4
Directing Endothelial Cell Attachment and Growth Using a Novel Ozone Patterning Technique

Tuesday, October 3, 2000, 3:00 pm, Room 202

Session: Cell-Surface Interactions
Presenter: T. Boland, Clemson University
Authors: S.R. Webb, Clemson University
T. Boland, Clemson University
Correspondent: Click to Email
Being able to modify surfaces to control cellular behavior, i.e. adhesion, spreading, migration, and or proliferation is extremely important in the development of materials for tissue engineering applications. Of particular interest in the field of vascular research are surfaces that will direct cell attachment and growth in the presence of RGD containing serum proteins, which may adsorb to the material surface. In this study, cell response to patterned materials was examined by employing highly organized monolayers of self-assembled (SAM) octadecytrichlorosilane (OTS) on silicon oxide wafers. OTS surfaces were exposed to ozone for a varying amount of time ranging from 1-4 minutes. The remaining surfaces were exposed to ozone via a micron size mask, allowing only the exposed areas to be etched. The surfaces were analyzed by ellipsometry and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA). Bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAEC): were cultured in MEM + 10% Fetal Bovine Serum + 1% antibiotic solution. Cells were seeded and cultured in 96 well plates in the presence of pure and patterned OTS surfaces. Cell attachment and growth of endothelial cells on pure OTS monolayers was very poor, most likely because of the denaturing of serum proteins near the surfaces. The surfaces exposed to ozone showed varying film thickness depending on the dose, and a strong carbonyl peak in the ESCA spectra, indicating the presence of an oxidized thin organic film. Cell attachment to etched surfaces and growth exceeded the control tissue culture polystyrene. Cell density increased in regions of the pattern to a confluent layer. The cell spreading and attachment on the micro-patterned surfaces suggests that the cells may be able to attach more firmly to the extracellular proteins on the patterned surfaces. The result from this cell growth study will aid in designing micro-patterned surfaces varies areas, such as, cell-based biosensors, biocomputers, and new biomaterials.