The surface chemistry of materials has an interactive influence on cell behavior. The optimal adhesion of mammalian cells is critical in determining the cell viability and proliferation on substrate surfaces. Because of the inherent high hydrophobicity of a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) surface, cell culture on these surfaces is unfavorable, causing cells to eventually dislodge from the surface. Although physically adsorbed matrix proteins can promote initial cell adhesion, this effect is usually short-lived. Here, (3-aminopropyl)triethoxy silane (APTES) and cross-linker glutaraldehyde (GA) chemistry was employed to immobilize either fibronectin (FN) or collagen type 1 (C1) on PDMS. The efficiency of these surfaces to support the adhesion and viability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) was analyzed. The hydrophobicity of the native PDMS decreased significantly with the mentioned surface functionalization. The adhesion of MSCs was mostly favorable on chemically modified PDMS surfaces with APTES + GA + protein. Additionally, the spreading area of MSCs was significantly higher on APTES + GA + C1 surfaces than on other unmodified/modified PDMS surfaces with C1 adsorption. However, there were no significant differences in the MSC spreading area on the unmodified/modified PDMS surfaces with FN adsorption. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in cell proliferation on the PDMS surface with APTES + GA + protein functionalization as compared to the PDMS surface with protein adsorption only. Therefore, the covalent surface chemical modification of PDMS with APTES + GA + protein could offer a more biocompatible platform for the enhanced adhesion and proliferation of MSCs. Similar strategies can be applied for other substrates and cell lines by appropriate combinations of self-assembly monolayers (SAMs) and extracellular matrix proteins.

In recent years, poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-based microfluidic devices have become very popular for on-chip cell investigation. Maintenance of mammalian cell adhesion on the substrate surface is crucial in determining the cell viability, proliferation and differentiation. However, the inherent hydrophobicity of PDMS is unfavourable for cell culture, causing cells to eventually dislodge from the surface. Although physically adsorbed matrix proteins can promote initial cell adhesion, this effect is usually short-lived. To address this critical issue, in this study, we employed (3-aminopropyl) triethoxy silane (APTES) and cross-linker glutaraldehyde (GA) chemistry to immobilize collagen type 1 (Col1) on PDMS. These modified surfaces are highly efficient to support the adhesion of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with no deterioration of their potency. Significant changes of the native PDMS surface properties were observed with the proposed surface functionalization, and MSC adhesion was improved on PDMS surfaces modified with APTES + GA + Protein. Therefore, this covalent surface modification could generate a more biocompatible platform for stabilized cell adhesion. Furthermore, this modification method facilitated long-term cell attachment, which is favourable for successful induction of osteogenesis and cell sheet formation with an increased expression of osteogenic biomarkers and comparable extracellular matrix (ECM) constituent biomarkers, respectively. The surface silanization can be applied to PDMS-based microfluidic systems for long-term study of cellular development. Similar strategies could also be applied to several other substrate materials by appropriate combinations of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and ECM proteins.

Hydrogel scaffolding of stem cells is a promising strategy to overcome initial cell loss and manipulate cell function post-transplantation. Matrix degradation is a requirement for downstream cell differentiation and functional tissue integration, which determines therapeutic outcome. Therefore, monitoring of hydrogel degradation is essential for scaffolded cell replacement therapies. It is shown here that chemical exchange saturation transfer magnetic resonance imaging (CEST MRI) can be used as a label-free imaging platform for monitoring the degradation of crosslinked hydrogels containing gelatin (Gel) and hyaluronic acid (HA), of which the stiffness can be fine-tuned by varying the ratio of the Gel:HA. By labeling Gel and HA with two different nearinfrared (NIR) dyes having distinct emission frequencies, it is shown here that the HA signal remains stable for 42 days, while the Gel signal gradually decreases to <25% of its initial value at this time point. Both imaging modalities are in excellent agreement for both the time course and relative value of CEST MRI and NIR signals (R 2 = 0.94). These findings support the further use of CEST MRI for monitoring biodegradation and optimizing of gelatincontaining hydrogels in a label-free manner.

Studies on the mammalian brain cerebral cortex have gained increasing importance due to the relevance of the region in controlling critical higher brain functions. Interactions between the cortical cells and surface extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins play a pivotal role in promoting stable cell adhesion, growth, and function. Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) based platforms have been increasingly used for on-chip in vitro cellular system analysis. However, the inherent hydrophobicity of the PDMS surface has been unfavorable for any long-term cell system investigations due to transitory physical adsorption of ECM proteins on PDMS surfaces followed by eventual cell dislodgement due to poor anchorage and viability. To address this critical issue, we employed the (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) based cross-linking strategy to stabilize ECM protein immobilization on PDMS. The efficiency of surface modification in supporting adhesion and long-term viability of neuronal and glial cells was analyzed. The chemically modified surfaces showed a relatively higher cell survival with an increased neurite length and neurite branching. These changes were understood in terms of an increase in surface hydrophilicity, protein stability, and cell-ECM protein interactions. The modification strategy could be successfully applied for stable cortical cell culture on the PDMS microchip for up to 3 weeks in vitro.