Chapter 9
Bioinspired Hierarchically Structured
Polymer Interfaces for Promising
Biomedical Applications
In this chapter, the development of novel bio-inspired surfaces with hierarchical
micro- and nanoscale topographic structures for efficient capture and release of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is reported. The three-dimensional hierarchically structured
surfaces were facilely fabricated by replicating the natural micro- and nanostructures
of rose petals onto polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates. These rose petal derived
surfaces were further modified with epithelial cell adhesion molecule antibodies
(anti-EpCAM) for capture of CTCs. Compared to flat PDMS without any surface
structures, these hierarchical substrates exhibited higher capture ability. As indicated by the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and immunofluorescent images,
this enhancement can be partly attributed to the interaction between nanoscale
cell surface components and nanostructures on substrate (topographical interaction). From the other side, PDMS with hierarchical structures leads to increased
surface area, allowing more anti-EpCAM to be immobilized on the surface, which
increases the number of available sites on the surface for cell adhesion. Furthermore, treating the substrates with biocompatible reductant glutathione (GSH), 79–
85% of the captured cells can be released with the disulfide bonds being cleaved.
The live/dead cell staining confirmed that the released cells display over 98% cell
viability after release. Therefore, these bio-inspired hierarchical structured and functionalized substrates can be successfully applied to capture CTCs, as well as release
CTCs for subsequent analysis, providing new prospects for designing cell–material
interfaces for advanced cell-based biomedical studies in the future.
9.1 Introduction
Microfabrication and nanofabrication with polymers have been recognized as an
attractive technology for research and development in many fields, especially in
molecular and cell biology, biointerface-controlled materials, and beyond. Key examples refer to the precise control of cell attachment or release in tissue engineering,
© Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press 2021
C. Feng et al., Microfabrication of Stimuli-Responsive Polymers,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6869-9_9
165
Bioinspired Hierarchically Structured
Polymer Interfaces for Promising
Biomedical Applications
In this chapter, the development of novel bio-inspired surfaces with hierarchical
micro- and nanoscale topographic structures for efficient capture and release of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is reported. The three-dimensional hierarchically structured
surfaces were facilely fabricated by replicating the natural micro- and nanostructures
of rose petals onto polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates. These rose petal derived
surfaces were further modified with epithelial cell adhesion molecule antibodies
(anti-EpCAM) for capture of CTCs. Compared to flat PDMS without any surface
structures, these hierarchical substrates exhibited higher capture ability. As indicated by the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and immunofluorescent images,
this enhancement can be partly attributed to the interaction between nanoscale
cell surface components and nanostructures on substrate (topographical interaction). From the other side, PDMS with hierarchical structures leads to increased
surface area, allowing more anti-EpCAM to be immobilized on the surface, which
increases the number of available sites on the surface for cell adhesion. Furthermore, treating the substrates with biocompatible reductant glutathione (GSH), 79–
85% of the captured cells can be released with the disulfide bonds being cleaved.
The live/dead cell staining confirmed that the released cells display over 98% cell
viability after release. Therefore, these bio-inspired hierarchical structured and functionalized substrates can be successfully applied to capture CTCs, as well as release
CTCs for subsequent analysis, providing new prospects for designing cell–material
interfaces for advanced cell-based biomedical studies in the future.
9.1 Introduction
Microfabrication and nanofabrication with polymers have been recognized as an
attractive technology for research and development in many fields, especially in
molecular and cell biology, biointerface-controlled materials, and beyond. Key examples refer to the precise control of cell attachment or release in tissue engineering,
© Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press 2021
C. Feng et al., Microfabrication of Stimuli-Responsive Polymers,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-6869-9_9
165