Adhesion of mammalian cells to polymer surfaces: from physical chemistry of surfaces to selective adhesion on defined patterns

The study of the adsorption of type I collagen from a solution containing Pluronic® F68 has shown that the latter prevents collagen adsorption on polystyrene and does not prevent it on surface-oxidized polystyrene. This explains the control of mammalian cell adhesion by substrate surface hydrophobicity and composition of pre-conditioning solution. On that basis, selective adhesion of different types of mammalian cells (PC12 pheochromocytoma, MSC80 schwannoma, Hep G2 hepatoblastoma, rat hepatocytes) on patterned surfaces was achieved. Therefore tracks (width in the range of a few tens of μm) of reduced hydrophobicity were produced on polystyrene by photolithography and oxygen plasma treatment. After conditioning by a solution containing both Pluronic® F68 and extracellular matrix protein (collagen, fibronectin), the latter adsorbed selectively on these paths thus allowing selective adhesion of the cells.