AVS 52nd International Symposium
    Biomaterial Interfaces Thursday Sessions
       Session BI1-ThM

Invited Paper BI1-ThM3
Artificial Extracellular Matrices: Polymer Films Modified with Positive Cues to Promote Cell Adhesion and Neurite Extension

Thursday, November 3, 2005, 9:00 am, Room 311

Session: BioMEMS and Microfluidics
Presenter: G.T.R. Palmore, Brown University
Authors: G.T.R. Palmore, Brown University
H.-K. Song, Brown University
D. Hoffman-Kim, Brown University
Correspondent: Click to Email
Nerve growth is modulated in vivo by positive (permissive or growth-promoting) and negative (growth-inhibitory) biochemical cues. Neurons of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) are able to regenerate after injury because of the endogenous growth-promoting environment provided by Schwann cells. Traumatic injury to the central nervous system (CNS), however, often results in irreversible loss of function because the neurons in the CNS reside in an environment that contains too many negative cues and too few positive cues. We seek to calibrate the quantity of positive cues relative to negative cues needed for CNS regeneration and thus have fabricated patterned substrates of specific dimensions for this purpose. These substrates consist of a conductive polymer matrix doped and chemically modified with biologically-active molecules in varying spatial relationships. The preparation of these substrates will be discussed, including their spectroscopic, microscopic and immunochemical characterization. In addition, results will be shown that demonstrate how these substrates promote cell adhesion and guide neurite extension of neurons in the presence of both positive and negative cues.