Optimizing cellular attachment and function in long-term hepatocyte cultures using polyelectrolyte multilayer surface modification

Hepatocyte morphology is known to be closely linked to cellular functions. As a result, morphogenesis is extremely important to attain organ-equivalent levels of tissue function from in vitro cultures. Thus, a challenge exists in designing materials suitable for supporting liver-derived cells that are not only biochemically hepatospecific but also biophysically sensitive to the mechanical nature of hepatocytes to achieve highly differentiated cell phenotype found in a natural liver. We employ a unique substrate material system of polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEM) that can be tuned to achieve mechanical compliances of several orders of magnitudes (Es = 105 to Es = 108 Pa). We have shown that PEM modification can effectively change the surface mechanical compliance, and, thus, hepatocyte morphology and attachment, by looking at varying PEM pH deposition conditions (pH 2.0, 4.0, and 6.5) and collagen concentrations (0, 3, 10 ug/cm ) on different materials (tissue-culture polystyrene, polycarbonate, and Permanox). For all materials, PAH/PAA 4.0/4.0 provided the balance of cellular attachment that appeared neither confluent nor sparse while also promoting a natural hepatocyte phenotype.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2006

Author dc:creator

• Wu, Jonathan (Jonathan G.)

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Linda G. Griffith.

• Mechanical Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/36682

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/36682