title: Polysialic acid immobilized on silanized glass surfaces: a test case for its use as a biomaterial for nerve regeneration.
abstract: The immobilization of polysialic acid (polySia) on glass substrates has been investigated with regard to the applicability of this polysaccharide as a novel, biocompatible and bioresorbable material for tissue engineering, especially with regard to its use in nerve regeneration. PolySia, a homopolymer of alpha-2,8-linked sialic acid, is involved in post-translational modification of the neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM). The degradation of polySia can be controlled which makes it an interesting material for coating and for scaffold construction in tissue engineering. Here, we describe the immobilization of polySia on glass surfaces via an epoxysilane linker. Whereas glass surfaces will not actually be used in nerve regeneration scaffolds, they provide a simple and efficient means for testing various methods for the investigation of immobilized polySia. The modified surfaces were investigated with contact angle measurements and the quantity of immobilized polySia was examined by the thiobarbituric acid assay and a specific polySia-ELISA. The interactions between the polySia-modified surface and immortalized Schwann cells were evaluated via cell adhesion and cell viability assays. The results show that polySia can be immobilized on glass surfaces via the epoxysilane linker and that surface-bound polySia has no toxic effects on Schwann cells. Therefore, as a key substance in the development of vertebrates and as a favourable substrate for the cultivation of Schwann cells, it offers interesting features for the use in nerve guidance tubes for treatment of peripheral nerve injuries.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Center for Solid-State Chemistry and New Materials, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Steinhaus
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Stark
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bruns
authors.forename: Yohannes
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Haile
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Scheper
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grothe
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Behrens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005898:Glass / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D051379:Mice; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D012821:Silanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D012794:Sialic Acids; D012821:Silanes; C021319:polysialic acid