Wettability Influences Cell Behavior on Superhydrophobic Surfaces with Different Topographies

Abstract

Surface wettability and topography are recognized as critical factors influencing cell behavior on biomaterials. So far only few works have reported cell responses on surfaces exhibiting extreme wettability in combination with surface topography. The goal of this work is to study whether cell behavior on superhydrophobic surfaces is influenced by surface topography and polymer type. Biomimetic superhydrophobic rough surfaces of polystyrene and poly(l-lactic acid) with different micro/nanotopographies were obtained from smooth surfaces using a simple phase-separation based method. Total protein was quantified and showed a less adsorption of bovine serum albumin onto rough surfaces as compared to smooth surfaces of the same material. The mouse osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cell line and primary bovine articular chondrocytes were used to study cell attachment and proliferation. Cells attached and proliferate better in the smooth surfaces. The superhydrophobic surfaces allowed cells to adhere but inhibited their proliferation. This study indicates that surface wettability, rather than polymer type or the topography of the superhydrophobic surfaces, is a critical factor in determining cell behavior.

A macrophage/fibroblast co-culture system using a cell migration chamber to study inflammatory effects of biomaterials

“…Material surface properties such as wettability, topography, surface potential and surface chemistry have been proven to affect protein adsorption and cellular behavior on biomaterials [23][24][25][26][27]. Material-dependent monocyte/macrophage adhesion, macrophage fusion into foreign body giant cells (FBGC) and cytokine production have been investigated previously using model biomaterials [28][29][30][31].…”

Superhydrophobic laser ablated PTFE substrates

“…Droplets in this state have the tendency to adhere to the rough surface more than in a similar flat surface. On the other hand, in the Cassie-Baxter state, the liquid droplet sits on top of the micro-asperities with gas bubbles trapped in between the micro-asperities and droplet [12]. Droplets in this state can roll off the surface easily.…”

Fabricating Superhydrophobic Polymeric Materials for Biomedical Applications

“…Depending on the fabrication method, thin or multilayered superhydrophobic surfaces, multilayered superhydrophobic substrate coatings, or even bulk superhydrophobic structures can be prepared. This permanent or semi-permanent water repellency is a useful property that is employed to prepare self-cleaning surfaces 7 , microfluidic devices 8 , anti-fouling cell/protein surfaces 9,10 , drag-reducing surfaces 11 , and drug delivery devices [12][13][14][15] . Recently, stimuli-responsive superhydrophobic materials are described where the nonwetted to wetted state is triggered by chemical, physical, or environmental cues (e.g., light, pH, temperature, ultrasound, and applied electrical potential/current) 14,[16][17][18][19][20] , and these materials are finding use for additional applications [21][22][23][24][25] .…”