SYNTHESIS AND IN VITRO/IN VIVO RESPONSE TO PEPTIDEPOLYMER CONJUGATES - Biologically-Responsive Hybrid Biomaterials - page 114

Direct cell-biomaterial in vitro testing and high throughput assays have been
coupled in current studies to screen biomaterials more rapidly while testing for
cell adhesion and material influence on cell morphology and proliferation. Figure
2 below outlines a study by Mochizuki and others where two biologically active
peptides derived from ECM components were conjugated to chitosan membranes
and microscopically observed using a 96 well plate as a high throughput system
[14]. Table 2 outlines the peptides used and Figure 2 shows cell response to each
peptide-grafted chitosan membrane.
Though in vitro studies offer the advantage of providing information on a
specific cell type response to the biomaterial, in vitro work has the limitation of
being too simple of a system compared to the highly complex and dynamic in
vivo system with all the physiologically relevant players present interacting with
the material of interest. Recent direct cell-biomaterial contact studies have been
531 AG73 Laminin-1
Fig. 2. Human foreskin fibroblasts adhered to chitosan membranes conjugated with different
bioadhesive peptide sequences. 531 conjugated chitosan membranes and laminin support cell
adhesion and spreading while AG73 supports cell adhesion but not spreading. Cells are stained
with crystal violet [14].
Evaluation
Over Time
Fig. 3. A schematic of a co-culture of monocytes and fibroblasts with RGD-PEG grafted sIPN
wound healing scaffold. Monocyte response to the RGD presenting sIPN and the communication
between monocytes and fibroblasts in the presence of the RGD presenting sIPN scaffold were
evaluated. Key wound healing factor expression in response to RGD-PEG grafted sIPN over time
in the presence of fibroblasts could be evaluated [15].