Short peptides enhance single cell adhesion and viability on microarrays

Surface Modification of PEEKs with Cyclic Peptides to Support Endothelialization and Antithrombogenicity

Synthetic polymers are often utilized in the creation of vascular devices, and need to possess specific qualities to prevent thrombosis. Traditional strategies for this include surface modification of vascular devices through covalent attachment of substrates such as heparin, antiplatelet agents, thrombolytic agents, or hydrophilic polymers. One promising prosthetic material is polyether ether ketone (PEEK), which is utilized in various FDA-approved medical devices, including vascular and endovascular prostheses. We hypothesized that surface modification of biologically inert PEEK can help improve its endothelial cell affinity and reduce its thrombogenic potential. To evaluate this, we developed an effective surface-modification approach with unique cyclic peptides, such as CCHGGVRLYC and CCREDVC. We treated the PEEK surface with ammonia plasma, which introduced amine groups onto the PEEK surface. Subsequently, we were able to conjugate these peptides to the plasma-modified PEEKs. We observed that cyclic CCHGGVRLYC conjugated on prosthetic PEEK not only supported endothelialization, but minimized platelet adhesion and activation. This technology can be potentially applied for in vivo vascular and endovascular protheses to enhance their utility and patency.

Effectiveness of Direct Laser Interference Patterning and Peptide Immobilization on Endothelial Cell Migration for Cardio-Vascular Applications: An In Vitro Study

Endothelial coverage of an exposed cardiovascular stent surface leads to the occurrence of restenosis and late-stent thrombosis several months after implantation. To overcome this difficulty, modification of stent surfaces with topographical or biochemical features may be performed to increase endothelial cells’ (ECs) adhesion and/or migration. This work combines both strategies on cobalt-chromium (CoCr) alloy and studies the potential synergistic effect of linear patterned surfaces that are obtained by direct laser interference patterning (DLIP), coupled with the use of Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) and Tyr-Ile-Gly-Ser-Arg (YIGSR) peptides. An extensive characterization of the modified surfaces was performed by using AFM, XPS, surface charge, electrochemical analysis and fluorescent methods. The biological response was studied in terms of EC adhesion, migration and proliferation assays. CoCr surfaces were successfully patterned with a periodicity of 10 µm and two different depths, D (≈79 and 762 nm). RGD and YIGSR were immobilized on the surfaces by CPTES silanization. Early EC adhesion was increased on the peptide-functionalized surfaces, especially for YIGSR compared to RGD. High-depth patterns generated 80% of ECs’ alignment within the topographical lines and enhanced EC migration. It is noteworthy that the combined use of the two strategies synergistically accelerated the ECs’ migration and proliferation, proving the potential of this strategy to enhance stent endothelialization.

Endothelialization strategy of implant materials surface: The newest research in recent 5 years

In recent years, more and more metal or non-metal materials have been used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, but the vascular complications after transplantation are still the main factors restricting the clinical application of most grafts, such as acute thrombosis and graft restenosis. Implant materials have been extensively designed and surface optimized by researchers, but it is still too difficult to avoid complications. Natural vascular endodermis has excellent function, anti-coagulant and anti-intimal hyperplasia, and it is also the key to maintaining the homeostasis of normal vascular microenvironment. Therefore, how to promote the adhesion of endothelial cells (ECs) on the surface of cardiovascular materials to achieve endothelialization of the surface is the key to overcoming the complications after implant materialization. At present, the surface endothelialization design of materials based on materials surface science, bioactive molecules, and biological function intervention and feedback has attracted much attention. In this review, we summarize the related research on the surface modification of materials by endothelialization in recent years, and analyze the advantages and challenges of current endothelialization design ideas, explain the relationship between materials, cells, and vascular remodeling in order to find a more ideal endothelialization surface modification strategy for future researchers to meet the requirements of clinical biocompatibility of cardiovascular materials.

Magnetic Force-Based Microfluidic Techniques for Cellular and Tissue Bioengineering

Live cell manipulation is an important biotechnological tool for cellular and tissue level bioengineering applications due to its capacity for guiding cells for separation, isolation, concentration, and patterning. Magnetic force-based cell manipulation methods offer several advantages, such as low adverse effects on cell viability and low interference with the cellular environment. Furthermore, magnetic-based operations can be readily combined with microfluidic principles by precisely allowing control over the spatiotemporal distribution of physical and chemical factors for cell manipulation. In this review, we present recent applications of magnetic force-based cell manipulation in cellular and tissue bioengineering with an emphasis on applications with microfluidic components. Following an introduction of the theoretical background of magnetic manipulation, components of magnetic force-based cell manipulation systems are described. Thereafter, different applications, including separation of certain cell fractions, enrichment of rare cells, and guidance of cells into specific macro- or micro-arrangements to mimic natural cell organization and function, are explained. Finally, we discuss the current challenges and limitations of magnetic cell manipulation technologies in microfluidic devices with an outlook on future developments in the field.

Hierarchical Design of Tissue Regenerative Constructs

The worldwide shortage of organs fosters significant advancements in regenerative therapies. Tissue engineering and regeneration aim to supply or repair organs or tissues by combining material scaffolds, biochemical signals, and cells. The greatest challenge entails the creation of a suitable implantable or injectable 3D macroenvironment and microenvironment to allow for ex vivo or in vivo cell-induced tissue formation. This review gives an overview of the essential components of tissue regenerating scaffolds, ranging from the molecular to the macroscopic scale in a hierarchical manner. Further, this review elaborates about recent pivotal technologies, such as photopatterning, electrospinning, 3D bioprinting, or the assembly of micrometer-scale building blocks, which enable the incorporation of local heterogeneities, similar to most native extracellular matrices. These methods are applied to mimic a vast number of different tissues, including cartilage, bone, nerves, muscle, heart, and blood vessels. Despite the tremendous progress that has been made in the last decade, it remains a hurdle to build biomaterial constructs in vitro or in vivo with a native-like structure and architecture, including spatiotemporal control of biofunctional domains and mechanical properties. New chemistries and assembly methods in water will be crucial to develop therapies that are clinically translatable and can evolve into organized and functional tissues.

In situ semi-quantitative assessment of single-cell viability by resonance Raman spectroscopy

We developed a novel method for quantifying single-cell viability with high selectivity by resonance Raman scattering. This powerful tool will allow researchers to study cellular metabolism at the level of a single cell.

Customized Interface Biofunctionalization of Decellularized Extracellular Matrix: Toward Enhanced Endothelialization

Interface biofunctionalization strategies try to enhance and control the interaction between implants and host organism. Decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) is widely used as a platform for bioengineering of medical implants, having shown its suitability in a variety of preclinical as well as clinical models. In this study, specifically designed, custom-made synthetic peptides were used to functionalize dECM with different cell adhesive sequences (RGD, REDV, and YIGSR). Effects on in vitro endothelial cell adhesion and in vivo endothelialization were evaluated in standardized models using decellularized ovine pulmonary heart valve cusps (dPVCs) and decellularized aortic grafts (dAoGs), respectively. Contact angle measurements and fluorescent labeling of custom-made peptides showed successful functionalization of dPVCs and dAoGs. The functionalization of dPVCs with a combination of bioactive sequences significantly increased in vitro human umbilical vein endothelial cell adhesion compared to nonfunctionalized controls. In a functional rodent aortic transplantation model, fluorescent-labeled peptides on dAoGs were persistent up to 10 days in vivo under exposure to systemic circulation. Although there was a trend toward enhanced in vivo endothelialization of functionalized grafts compared to nonfunctionalized controls, there was no statistical significance and a large biological variability in both groups. Despite failing to show a clear biological effect in the used in vivo model system, our initial findings do suggest that endothelialization onto dECM may be modulated by customized interface biofunctionalization using the presented method. Since bioactive sequences within the dECM-synthetic peptide platform are easily interchangeable and combinable, further control of host cell proliferation, function, and differentiation seems to be feasible, possibly paving the way to a new generation of multifunctional dECM scaffolds for regenerative medicine.

Surface bound VEGF mimicking peptide maintains endothelial cell proliferation in the absence of soluble VEGF in vitro

Continuous glucose monitoring is an efficient method for the management of diabetes and in limiting the complications induced by large fluctuations in glucose levels. For this, intravascular systems may assist in producing more reliable and accurate devices. However, neovascularization is a key factor to be addressed in improving their biocompatibility. In this scope, the perennial modification of the surface of an implant with the proangiogenic Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor mimic peptide (SVVYGLR peptide sequence) holds great promise. Herein, we report on the preparation of gold substrates presenting the covalently grafted SVVYGLR peptide sequence and their effect on HUVEC behavior. Effective coupling was demonstrated using XPS and PM-IRRAS. The produced surfaces were shown to be beneficial for HUVEC adhesion. Importantly, surface bound SVVYGLR is able to maintain HUVEC proliferation even in the absence of soluble VEGF. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 1425-1436, 2016.

Detection of Listeria monocytogenes with short peptide fragments from class IIa bacteriocins as recognition elements

We employed a direct peptide-bacteria binding assay to screen peptide fragments for high and specific binding to Listeria monocytogenes. Peptides were screened from a peptide array library synthesized on cellulose membrane. Twenty four peptide fragments (each a 14-mer) were derived from three potent anti-listerial peptides, Leucocin A, Pediocin PA1, and Curvacin A, that belong to class IIa bacteriocins. Fragment Leu10 (GEAFSAGVHRLANG), derived from the C-terminal region of Leucocin A, displayed the highest binding among all of the library fragments toward several pathogenic Gram-positive bacteria, including L. monocytogenes, Enterococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus aureus. The specific binding of Leu10 to L. monocytogenes was further validated using microcantilever (MCL) experiments. Microcantilevers coated with gold were functionalized with peptides by chemical conjugation using a cysteamine linker to yield a peptide density of ∼4.8×10(-3) μmol/cm2 for different peptide fragments. Leu10 (14-mer) functionalized MCL was able to detect Listeria with same sensitivity as that of Leucocin A (37-mer) functionalized MCL, validating the use of short peptide fragments in bacterial detection platforms. Fragment Leu10 folded into a helical conformation in solution, like that of native Leucocin A, suggesting that both Leu10 and Leucocin A may employ a similar mechanism for binding target bacteria. The results show that peptide-conjugated microcantilevers can function as highly sensitive platforms for Listeria detection and hold potential to be developed as biosensors for pathogenic bacteria.

Marked difference in self-assembly, morphology, and cell viability of positional isomeric dipeptides generated by reversal of sequence

In this study two positional isomeric dipeptides Boc-m-ABA-Aib-OMe () and Boc-Aib-m-ABA-OMe () synthesized by reversal of the positions of two rigid amino acids (m-ABA: m-aminobenzoic acid, Aib: α-aminoisobutyric acid) showed marked difference in morphology under the same environmental conditions. Investigation of single crystal structures reveals the difference in crystal packing and higher order self-assembly pattern for both the isomeric peptides, which might be the responsible factor for their different morphological patterns. Moreover, these isomeric dipeptides have produced different cellular viability effects towards normal bone cells. These two peptides would have utilities in the model study of isomeric peptides/proteins, where morphological difference under identical conditions brings changes in their individual bio-activities and where the reversal of sequence causes different cellular viability and generates health hazard.

Screening for novel cell adhesive regions in bovine Achilles tendon collagen peptides

Collagen, a major structural protein of the ECM, is known for its high cell adherence capacity. This study was conducted to identify regions in collagen that harbour such bioactivity. Collagen from tendon was hydrolysed and the peptides fractionated using ion-exchange chromatography (IEC). Isolated peptide fractions were coated onto disposable dishes and screened for cell adherence and proliferative abilities. Active IEC fractions were further purified by chromatography, and two peptides, C2 and E1 with cell adhesion ability, were isolated. A cell adhesion assay done with different amounts of C2 coated onto disposable dishes revealed the maximum adhesion to be 94.6%, compared with 80% for collagen coated dishes and an optimum peptide coating density of 0.507 nmoles per cm2 area of the dish. Growth of cells on C2, collagen, and E1 revealed a similar pattern and a reduction in the doubling time compared with cells grown on uncoated dishes. C2 had a mass of 2.046 kDa with 22 residues, and sequence analysis revealed a higher percentage occurrence of hydrophilic residues compared with other regions in collagen. Docking studies revealed GDDGEA in C2 as the probable site of interaction with integrins α2β1 and α1β1, and stability studies proved C2 to be mostly protease-resistant.

Real-time characterization of cytotoxicity using single-cell impedance monitoring

Cellular impedance sensors have attracted great attention as a powerful characterization tool for real-time, label-free detection of cytotoxic agents. However, impedance measurements with conventional cell-based sensors that host multiple cells on a single electrode neither provide optimal cell signal sensitivity nor are capable of recording individual cell responses. Here we use a single-cell based platform to monitor cellular impedance on planar microelectrodes to characterize cellular death. In this study, individual cells were selectively patterned on microelectrodes with each hosting one live cell through ligand-mediated natural cell adhesion. Changes in cellular morphology and cell-electrode adherence were monitored after the patterned cells were treated with varying concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, sodium arsenite, and disodium hydrogen arsenate, three potent toxicants related to neurotoxicity and oxidative stress. At low toxicant concentrations, impedance waveforms acquired from individual cells showed variable responses. A time- and concentration-dependent response was seen in the averaged single-cell impedance waveform for all three toxicants. The apoptosis and necrosis characterizations were performed to validate cell impedance results. Furthermore, time constants of apoptosis and necrosis in response to toxicant exposure were analytically established using an equivalent circuit model that characterized the mechanisms of cell death.

Effects of electrode surface modification with chlorotoxin on patterning single glioma cells

A microchip patterned with arrays of single cancer cells can be an effective platform for the study of tumor biology, medical diagnostics, and drug screening. However, patterning and retaining viable single cancer cells on defined sites of the microarray can be challenging. In this study we used a tumor cell-specific peptide, chlorotoxin (CTX), to mediate glioma cell adhesion on arrays of gold microelectrodes and investigated the effects of three surface modification schemes for conjugation of CTX to the microelectrodes on single cell patterning, which include physical adsorption, covalent bonding mediated by N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS), and covalent bonding via crosslinking succinimidyl iodoacetate and Traut's (SIA-Traut) reagents. The CTX immobilization to microelectrodes was confirmed by high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Physically adsorbed CTX showed better support for cell adhesion and is more effective in confining adhered cells on the electrodes than covalently-bound CTX. Furthermore, cell adhesion and spreading on microelectrodes were quantified in real-time by impedance measurements, which revealed an impedance signal from physically adsorbed CTX electrodes four times greater than the signal from covalently-bound CTX electrodes.

Single-cell bioelectrical impedance platform for monitoring cellular response to drug treatment

The response of cells to a chemical or biological agent in terms of their impedance changes in real-time is a useful mechanism that can be utilized for a wide variety of biomedical and environmental applications. The use of a single-cell-based analytical platform could be an effective approach to acquiring more sensitive cell impedance measurements, particularly in applications where only diminutive changes in impedance are expected. Here, we report the development of an on-chip cell impedance biosensor with two types of electrodes that host individual cells and cell populations, respectively, to study its efficacy in detecting cellular response. Human glioblastoma (U87MG) cells were patterned on single- and multi-cell electrodes through ligand-mediated natural cell adhesion. We comparatively investigated how these cancer cells on both types of electrodes respond to an ion channel inhibitor, chlorotoxin (CTX), in terms of their shape alternations and impedance changes to exploit the fine detectability of the single-cell-based system. The detecting electrodes hosting single cells exhibited a significant reduction in the real impedance signal, while electrodes hosting confluent monolayer of cells showed little to no impedance change. When single-cell electrodes were treated with CTX of different doses, a dose-dependent impedance change was observed. This enables us to identify the effective dose needed for this particular treatment. Our study demonstrated that this single-cell impedance system may potentially serve as a useful analytical tool for biomedical applications such as environmental toxin detection and drug evaluation.

Peptide arrays for screening cancer specific peptides

In this paper, we describe a novel method to screen peptides for specific recognition by cancer cells. Seventy peptides were synthesized on a cellulose membrane in an array format, and a direct method to study the peptide-whole cell interaction was developed. The relative binding affinity of the cells for different peptides with respect to a lead 12-mer p160 peptide, identified by phage display, was evaluated using the CyQUANT fluorescence of the bound cells. Screening allowed identification of at least five new peptides that displayed higher affinity (up to 3-fold) for MDA-MB-435 and MCF-7 human cancer cells compared to the p160 peptide. These peptides showed very little binding to the control (noncancerous) human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Three of these peptides were synthesized separately and labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) to study their uptake and interaction with the cancer and control cells using confocal laser scanning microscopy and flow cytometry. The results confirmed the high and specific affinity of an 11-mer peptide 11 (RGDPAYQGRFL) and a 10-mer peptide 18 (WXEAAYQRFL) for the cancer cells versus HUVECs. Peptide 11 binds different receptors on target cancer cells as its sequence contains multiple recognition motifs, whereas peptide 18 binds mainly to the putative p160 receptor. The peptide array-whole cell binding assay reported here is a complementary method to phage display for further screening and optimization of cancer targeting peptides for cancer therapy and diagnosis.

Human macrophage adhesion on polysaccharide patterned surfaces

Despite many advances in designing biocompatible materials, inflammation remains a problem in medical devices and implants. We report two methods, microcontact printing and photodegradation by UV exposure, to pattern dextran and hyaluronic acid on glass, as well as demonstrate their utility for use as an anti-inflammatory biomaterial. The dextran/glass patterned surface can be further modified by grafting hyaluronic acid to glass, creating a binary polysaccharide patterned surface. We used two geometries, 90 µm squares and 22 µm stripes, to study the human macrophage (THP-1) adhesion on the patterned surfaces containing dextran, hyaluronic acid and the binary pattern. The results indicate that a majority of the macrophages are non-adherent on hyaluronic acid for three day culture. The ranking of surfaces according to macrophage adhesion is 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane-modified glass culture dish, dextranized surfaces, glass, and hyaluronic acid-modified surfaces. On the binary pattern of dextran and hyaluronic acid, macrophages preferentially attach and adhere to the dextranized area. Patterned surfaces provide an excellent platform for mimicking the complexity of the glycocalyx and investigating the interface between this surface and cells. This binary polysaccharide pattern also offers a new route to address anti-inflammatory potential of surface coatings on biomaterials in a high through-put fashion.

Single-cell attachment and culture method using a photochemical reaction in a closed microfluidic system

Recently, interest in single cell analysis has increased because of its potential for improving our understanding of cellular processes. Single cell operation and attachment is indispensable to realize this task. In this paper, we employed a simple and direct method for single-cell attachment and culture in a closed microchannel. The microchannel surface was modified by applying a nonbiofouling polymer, 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) polymer, and a nitrobenzyl photocleavable linker. Using ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation, the MPC polymer was selectively removed by a photochemical reaction that adjusted the cell adherence inside the microchannel. To obtain the desired single endothelial cell patterning in the microchannel, cell-adhesive regions were controlled by use of round photomasks with diameters of 10, 20, 30, or 50 μm. Single-cell adherence patterns were formed after 12 h of incubation, only when 20 and 30 μm photomasks were used, and the proportions of adherent and nonadherent cells among the entire UV-illuminated areas were 21.3%±0.3% and 7.9%±0.3%, respectively. The frequency of single-cell adherence in the case of the 20 μm photomask was 2.7 times greater than that in the case of the 30 μm photomask. We found that the 20 μm photomask was optimal for the formation of single-cell adherence patterns in the microchannel. This technique can be a powerful tool for analyzing environmental factors like cell-surface and cell-extracellular matrix contact.

Response characteristics of single-cell impedance sensors employed with surface-modified microelectrodes

The underlying sensing mechanism of single-cell-based integrated microelectrode array (IMA) biosensors was investigated via experimental and modeling studies. IMA chips were microfabricated and single-cell-level manipulation was achieved through surface chemistry modification of IMA chips. Individual fibroblast cells (NIH3T3) were immobilized on either lysine-arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (KRGD) short peptide-modified or fibronectin extracellular-cell-adhesion-molecule-modified microelectrodes to record the impedance variations of cell-electrode heterostructure over a frequency range of 1-10 kHz. By fitting experimental data to an application-specific single-cell-level equivalent circuit model, important sensing parameters, including specific cell membrane capacity, cell membrane resistivity, and averaged cell-to-substrate separation, were determined. It was demonstrated that biofunctionalization of planar microelectrode surface by covalently linking short peptides or fibronectin molecules could achieve strong or tight cell adhesion (with an estimated averaged cell-to-substrate separation distance of 11-16 nm), which, in turn, improves the transduced electrical signal from IMA chips. Analyses on frequency-dependent characteristics of single-cell-covered microelectrode impedance and of IMA sensor circuitry response have revealed an addressable frequency band wherein electrical properties of single cells can be distinctively determined and monitored for cellular biosensing applications. The presented work addresses some major limitations in single-cell-based biosensing schemes, i.e., the manipulation of a single cell, the transduction of weak biological signals, and the implementation of a proper model for data analysis, and demonstrates the potential of IMA devices as single-cell biosensors.

Patterned Au/poly(dimethylsiloxane) substrate fabricated by chemical plating coupled with electrochemical etching for cell patterning

In this paper, we present a novel approach for preparing patterned Au/poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) substrate. Chemical gold plating instead of conventional metal evaporation or sputtering was introduced to achieve a homogeneous gold layer on native PDMS for the first time, which possesses low-cost and simple operation. An electrochemical oxidation reaction accompanied by the coordination of gold and chloride anion was then exploited to etch gold across the region covered by electrolyte. On the basis of such an electrochemical etching, heterogeneous Au/PDMS substrate which has a gold "island" pattern or PDMS dots pattern was fabricated. Hydrogen bubbles which were generated in the etching process due to water electrolysis were used to produce a safe region under the Pt auxiliary electrode. The safe region would protect gold film from etching and lead to the formation of the gold "island" pattern. In virtue of a PDMS stencil with holes array, gold could be etched from the exposed region and take on the PDMS dots pattern which was selected to for protein and cell patterning. This patterned Au/PDMS substrate is very convenient to construct cytophobic and cytophilic regions. Self-assembled surface modification of (1-mercaptoundec-11-yl)hexa(ethylene glycol) on gold and adsorption of fibronectin on PDMS are suitable for effective protein and cell patterning. This patterned Au/PDMS substrate would be a potentially versatile platform for fabricating biosensing arrays.

Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy and fluorescence resonance energy transfer from cyan to yellow fluorescent protein validates a novel method to cluster proteins on solid surfaces

A novel method to distribute proteins on solid surfaces is proposed. Proteins microencapsulated in the water pool of reverse micelles were used to coat a solid surface with well-individualized round spots of 1 to 3 microm in diameter. The number of spots per unit area can be increased through the concentration of reverse micelles, and networks of spots were obtained at high concentrations of large reverse micelles. Moreover, depending on the pool size of the water reverse micelles, proteins can be deposited far from each other or in close proximity within the range of 50 to 70 A. This proximity obtained with small reverse micelles was proved through fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FLIM-FRET) measurements for the most relevant FRET pair in cell biology studies, the cyan and yellow fluorescent proteins. This novel procedure has several advantages and reveals the potential for study of protein-protein interactions on solid surfaces and for developing novel biomaterials and molecular devices based on biorecognition elements.

Detection of drug-induced cellular changes using confocal Raman spectroscopy on patterned single-cell biosensors

We report on a cell-based biosensor application that utilizes patterned single-cell arrays combined with confocal Raman spectroscopy to observe the time-dependent drug response of individual cells in real time. The patterned single-cell platform enables individual cells to be easily located and continuously addressable for Raman spectroscopy characterization of biochemical compositional changes in a non-destructive, quantitative manner so that discrete cellular behavior and cell-to-cell variations are preserved. In this study, human medulloblastoma (DAOY) cells were exposed to the common chemotherapeutic agent etoposide, and Raman spectra from patterned cells were recorded over 48 hours. It was found that 87.5% of the cells monitored exhibited a sharp decrease in DNA and protein associated peaks 48 hours after drug exposure, corresponding to cell death. The remaining 12.5% of the cells showed little to no reduction in key Raman biomarkers, indicating their drug resistance. Furthermore, the patterned cell population showed a very similar response to etoposide as confluent cell cultures, as confirmed by flow cytometry. Finally, patterned cells were assessed with TUNEL assay for apoptosis due to DNA fragmentation after etoposide exposure. The results agree well with those from the Raman spectroscopy analysis. This combined biosensor-Raman platform provides a quick, simple way to assess cell responses to chemical and biological agents with high throughput and can be potentially used for a wide variety of biomedical applications such as pharmaceutical drug discovery, toxin tests, and biothreat detection.

Surface-bound proteins with preserved functionality

Biocompatibility of materials strongly depends on their surface properties. Therefore, surface derivatization in a controllable manner provides means for achieving interfaces essential for a broad range of chemical, biological, and medical applications. Bioactive interfaces, while manifesting the activity for which they are designed, should suppress all nonspecific interaction between the supporting substrates and the surrounding media. This article describes a procedure for chemical derivatization of glass and silicon surfaces with polyethylene glycol (PEG) layers covalently functionalized with proteins. While the proteins introduce the functionality to the surfaces, the PEGs provide resistance against nonspecific interactions. For formation of aldehyde-functionalized surfaces, we coated the substrates with acetals (i.e., protected aldehydes). To avoid deterioration of the surfaces, we did not use strong mineral acids for the deprotection of the aldehydes. Instead, we used a relatively weak Lewis acid for conversion of the acetals into aldehydes. Introduction of alpha,omega-bifunctional polymers into the PEG layers, bound to the aldehydes, allowed us to covalently attach green fluorescent protein and bovine carbonic anhydrase to the surfaces. Spectroscopic studies indicated that the surface-bound proteins preserve their functionalities. The surface concentrations of the proteins, however, did not manifest linear proportionality to the molar fractions of the bifunctional PEGs used for the coatings. This finding suggests that surface-loading ratios cannot be directly predicted from the compositions of the solutions of competing reagents used for chemical derivatization.

Biofunctionalization of biomaterials for accelerated in situ endothelialization: a review

The higher patency rates of cardiovascular implants, including vascular bypass grafts, stents, and heart valves are related to their ability to inhibit thrombosis, intimal hyperplasia, and calcification. In native tissue, the endothelium plays a major role in inhibiting these processes. Various bioengineering research strategies thereby aspire to induce endothelialization of graft surfaces either prior to implantation or by accelerating in situ graft endothelialization. This article reviews potential bioresponsive molecular components that can be incorporated into (and/or released from) biomaterial surfaces to obtain accelerated in situ endothelialization of vascular grafts. These molecules could promote in situ endothelialization by the mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) from the bone marrow, encouraging cell-specific adhesion (endothelial cells (EC) and/or EPC) to the graft and, once attached, by controlling the proliferation and differentiation of these cells. EC and EPC interactions with the extracellular matrix continue to be a principal source of inspiration for material biofunctionalization, and therefore, the latest developments in understanding these interactions will be discussed.

Multifunctional surfaces with discrete functionalized regions for biological applications

In this paper we describe a method for creating multifunctional glass surfaces presenting discrete patches of different proteins on an inert PEG-functionalized background. Microcontact printing is used to stamp the substrate with octadecyltrichlorosilane to define the active regions. The substrate is then back-filled with PEG-silane {[[2-methoxypoly(ethyleneoxy)]propyl]trimethoxysilane} to define passive regions. A microfluidics device is subsequently affixed to the substrate to deliver proteins to the active regions, with as many channels as there are proteins to be patterned. Examples of trifunctional surfaces are given which present three terminating functional groups, i.e., protein 1, protein 2, and PEG. These surfaces should be broadly useful in biological studies, as patch size is well established to influence cell viability, growth, and differentiation. Three examples of cellular interactions with the surfaces are demonstrated, including the capture of cells from a single cell suspension, the selective sorting of cells from a mixed suspension, and the adhesion of cells to ligand micropatches at critical shear stresses. Within these examples, we demonstrate that the patterned immobilized proteins are active, as they retain their ability to interact with either antibodies in solution or receptors presented by cells. When appropriate (e.g., for E-selectin), proteins are patterned in their physiological orientations using a sandwich immobilization technique, which is readily accommodated within our method. The protein surface densities are highly reproducible in the patches, as supported by fluorescence intensity measurements. Potential applications include biosensors based on the interaction of cells or of marker proteins with protein patches, fundamental studies of cell adhesion as a function of patch size and shear stress, and studies of cell differentiation as a function of surface cues.

Imaging surface immobilization chemistry: correlation with cell patterning on non-adhesive hydrogel thin films

High-fidelity surface functional group (e.g., N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) reactive ester) patterning is readily and reliably achieved on commercial poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based polymer films already known to exhibit high performance non-fouling properties in full serum and in cell culture conditions. NHS coupling chemistry co-patterned with methoxy-capped PEG using photolithographic methods is directly spatially imaged using imaging time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and principal components statistical analysis. Patterned NHS surface reactive zones are clearly resolved at high sensitivity despite the complexity of the polymer matrix chemistry. ToF-SIMS imaging also reveals the presence of photo-resist residue remaining from typical photolithography processing methods. High cross-correlation between various ion-derived ToF-SIMS images is observed, providing sensitive chemical corroboration of pattern chemistry and biological reactivity in complex milieu. Surface-specific protein coupling is observed first by site-selective reaction of streptavidin with NHS patterns, followed by identical patterns of biotinylated Alexa-labeled albumin coupling. This suggests that streptavidin immobilized on the patterns remains bioactive. Fluorescently labeled full serum is shown to react selectively with NHS-reactive regions, with minimal signal from methoxy-capped regions. Insufficient serum is adsorbed under any conditions to these surfaces to support cell attachment in serum-containing media. This reflects the high intrinsic non-adsorptive nature of this chemistry. Fibroblasts attach and proliferate in serum culture only when a cell adhesion peptide (RGD) is first grafted to NHS regions on the PEG-based surfaces. Longer-term serum-based cell culture retains high cell-pattern fidelity that correlates with chemical imaging of both the NHS and RGD patterns and also lack of cell adhesion to methoxy-capped regions. Cell staining shows orientation of adherent cells within the narrow patterned areas. Cell patterns are consistently retained beyond 15 days in serum media.

Protein recording material: photorecord/erasable protein array using a UV-eliminative linker

Protein patterning on solid surfaces is a topic of significant importance in the fields of biosensors, diagnostic assays, cell adhesion technologies, and biochip microarrays. In this letter, we have established a novel, rapid method for the fabrication of a "protein recording material", which enables us to spatiotemporally regulate the recording, reading, and erasing of a fluorescent protein array as information by a photochemical technique. A photolinker that we synthesized here was used to control the protein array spatiotemporally. The recording process was almost completed after 1 min of photoirradiation to read a clear pattern consisting of a specific protein-ligand complex with high spatiotemporal resolution. The erasing of the protein array was then achieved by photoirradiation onto the entire patterned surface.

Cell culture arrays using magnetic force-based cell patterning for dynamic single cell analysis

In order to understand the behavior of individual cells, single cell analyses have attracted attention since most cell-based assays provide data with values averaged across a large number of cells. Techniques for the manipulation and analysis of single cells are crucial for understanding the behavior of individual cells. In the present study, we have developed single cell culture arrays using magnetic force and a pin holder, which enables the allocation of the magnetically labeled cells on arrays, and have analyzed their dynamics. The pin holder was made from magnetic soft iron and contained more than 6000 pillars on its surface. The pin holder was placed on a magnet to concentrate the magnetic flux density above the pillars. NIH/3T3 fibroblasts that were labeled with magnetite cationic liposomes (MCLs) were seeded into a culture dish, and the dish was placed over the pin holder with the magnet. The magnetically labeled cells were guided on the surface where the pillars were positioned and allocated on the arrays with a high resolution. Single-cell patterning was achieved by adjusting the number of cells seeded, and the target cell was collected by a micromanipulator after removing the pin holder with the magnet. Furthermore, change in the morphology of magnetically patterned cells was analyzed by microscopic observation, and cell spreading on the array was observed with time duration. Magnetic force-based cell patterning on cell culture arrays would be a suitable technique for the analysis of cell behavior in studies of cell-cell variation and cell-cell interactions.

Influence of cell adhesion and spreading on impedance characteristics of cell-based sensors

Impedance measurements of cell-based sensors are a primary characterization route for detection and analysis of cellular responses to chemical and biological agents in real time. The detection sensitivity and limitation depend on sensor impedance characteristics and thus on cell patterning techniques. This study introduces a cell patterning approach to bind cells on microarrays of gold electrodes and demonstrates that single-cell patterning can substantially improve impedance characteristics of cell-based sensors. Mouse fibroblast cells (NIH3T3) are immobilized on electrodes through a lysine-arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (KRGD) peptide-mediated natural cell adhesion process. Electrodes are made of three sizes and immobilized with either covalently bound or physically adsorbed KRGD (c-electrodes or p-electrodes). Cells attached to c-electrodes increase the measurable electrical signal strength by 48.4%, 24.2%, and 19.0% for three electrode sizes, respectively, as compared to cells attached to p-electrodes, demonstrating that both the electrode size and surface chemistry play a key role in cell adhesion and spreading and thus the impedance characteristics of cell-based sensors. Single cells patterned on c-electrodes with dimensions comparable to cell size exhibit well-spread cell morphology and substantially outperform cells patterned on electrodes of other configurations.

Cellular impedance biosensors for drug screening and toxin detection

Cell-based impedance biosensing is an emerging technology that can be used to non-invasively and instantaneously detect and analyze cell responses to chemical and biological agents. This article highlights the fabrication and measurement technologies of cell impedance sensors, and their application in toxin detection and anti-cancer drug screening. We start with an introduction that describes the capability and advantages of cell-based sensors over conventional sensing technology, followed by a discussion of the influence of cell adhesion, spreading and viability during cell patterning on the subsequent impedance measurements and sensing applications. We then present an electronic circuit that models the cell-electrode system, by which the cellular changes can be detected in terms of impedance changes of the circuit. Finally, we discuss the current status on using cell impedance sensors for toxin detection and anti-cancer drug screening.

Three-dimensional Monte Carlo simulations of intracellular diffusion and reaction of signaling proteins

We show that the Monte Carlo technique makes it possible to perform three-dimensional simulations of intracellular protein-mediated signal transduction with realistic ratio of the rates of protein diffusion and association with genes. Specifically, we illustrate that in the simplest case when the protein degradation and phosphorylation/dephosphorylation are negligible the distribution of the first passage time for this process is close to exponential provided that the number of target genes is between 1 and 100.