Investigating the Viability of Epithelial Cells on Polymer Based Thin-Films

Abstract

The development of novel polymer-based materials opens up possibilities for several novel applications, such as advanced wound dressings, bioinks for 3D biofabrication, drug delivery systems, etc. The aim of this study was to evaluate the viability of vascular and intestinal epithelial cells on different polymers as a selection procedure for more advanced cell-polymer applications. In addition, possible correlations between increased cell viability and material properties were investigated. Twelve polymers were selected, and thin films were prepared by dissolution and spin coating on silicon wafers. The prepared thin films were structurally characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and goniometry. Their biocompatibility was determined using two epithelial cell lines (human umbilical vein endothelial cells and human intestinal epithelial cells), assessing the metabolic activity, cell density, and morphology. The tested cell lines showed different preferences regarding the culture substrate. No clear correlation was found between viability and individual substrate characteristics, suggesting that complex synergistic effects may play an important role in substrate design. These results show that a systematic approach is required to compare the biocompatibility of simple cell culture substrates as well as more complex applications (e.g., bioinks).

Development of a novel NiCu nanoparticle-loaded polysaccharide-based hydrogel for 3D printing of customizable dressings with promising cytotoxicity against melanoma cells

“…The wettability of dressings was determined using an OCA15+ goniometer system (Dataphysics, Germany) with the sessile drop method [ 24 ]. Flat samples for wettability measurements were prepared by pressing the hydrogels between two silicon wafers.…”

Practical Use of Quartz Crystal Microbalance Monitoring in Cartilage Tissue Engineering

“…Using nanofilms reduces material costs in the initial stage of surface interaction testing. Their ease of fabrication makes them suitable for a quick survey of a larger number of biomaterials [ 102 ]. This is of the utmost importance in developing cellular scaffolds, especially when using natural materials or ECM components, for example, in CTE [ 13 , 23 ].…”

“…The possibility of monitoring cell biological phenomena in real time is pivotal in the early stage of TE. Therefore, it is important to evaluate whether the surfaces of engineered biomaterials can induce desirable initial cell interactions, as this affects the outcome of artificially engineered tissues [ 102 , 107 ]. Cell adhesion is an essential aspect of cellular behavior since this affects other basic cellular responses, such as growth, migration, and differentiation [ 108 ].…”