title: Effect of polymer deposition method on thermoresponsive polymer films and resulting cellular behavior.
abstract: Poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) or pNIPAM is a thermoresponsive polymer that is widely studied for use in bioengineering applications. The interest in this polymer lies in the polymer's unique capability to undergo a sharp property change near physiological temperature, which aids in the spontaneous release of biological cells from substrates. Currently, there are many methods for depositing pNIPAM onto substrates, including atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and electron beam ionization. Each method yields pNIPAM-coated substrates with different surface characteristics that can influence cell behavior. In this work, we compare two methods of pNIPAM deposition: plasma deposition and codeposition with a sol-gel. The resulting pNIPAM films were analyzed for use as substrates for mammalian cell culture based on surface characterization (XPS, ToF-SIMS, AFM, contact angles), cell attachment/detachment studies, and an analysis of exocytosis function using carbon-fiber microelectrode amperometry (CFMA). We find that although both methods are useful for the deposition of functional pNIPAM films, plasma deposition is much preferred for cell-sheet engineering applications because of the films' thermoresponse, minimal change in cell density, and maintenance of supported cell exocytosis function.
authors.affiliation: Center for Biomedical Engineering, University of New Mexico, USA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Reed
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Love
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Lucero
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Haynes
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Canavan
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D019439:Chromaffin Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D005089:Exocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008839:Microelectrodes; D058626:Plasma Gases / Q000737:chemistry; D058105:Polymerization; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D058626:Plasma Gases; C052970:poly-N-isopropylacrylamide