title: Functionalization of silicone rubber for the covalent immobilization of fibronectin.
abstract: Surface modification techniques were employed in order to provide functionalized silicone rubber with enhanced cytocompatibility. Acrylic acid (AAc), methacrylic acid (MAAc) and glycidylmethacrylate (GMA) were graft-co-polymerized onto the surface of silicone induced by an argon plasma and thermal initiation. The polymerizations were carried out in solution, in the case of acrylic acid a vapor phase graft-co-polymerization subsequent to argon plasma activation was carried out as well. Human fibronectin (hFn), which acts as a cell adhesion mediator for fibroblasts, was immobilized by making use of the generated carboxylic or epoxy groups, respectively. Surface analysis was accomplished by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), infrared spectroscopy in attenuated total reflection mode (IR-ATR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and dynamic contact angle measurements using the Wilhelmy-plate method. The amount of immobilized active hFn was semiquantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a structure-specific antibody against the cell-binding domain of hFn. In vitro testing showed a remarkable difference between surfaces exposing adsorbed-only and surfaces with covalently immobilized hFn.
authors.affiliation: Department of Textile and Macromolecular Chemistry, Technical University of Aachen, Veltmanplatz 8, D-52062 Aachen, Germany. voelcker@scripps.edu
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Völcker
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Klee
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Höcker
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Langefeld