Surface tailoring of poly( -lactic acid) by ligand-tethered amphiphilic polymer for promoting chondrocyte attachment and growth

The ligand-tethered poly(ethylene oxide–propylene oxide–ethylene oxide) (PEO–PPO–PEO) triblock copolymer was explored to engineer poly( -lactic acid) (PDL-LA) material to promote cell attachment and growth. The PEO–PPO–PEO was activated by methyl sulfonyl chloride and the amino acid, and peptide were attached. By blending the PDL-LA with the ligand-tethered PEO–PPO–PEO derivatives, the surface of modified PDL-LA film was investigated by ATR-FTIR, XPS and contact angle. The chondrocytes test on different PDL-LA films indicated that the PEO–PPO–PEO amino acid and RGD derivatives modified PDL-LA films could promote chondrocyte attachment and growth. This simple surface treatment method may have potentials for tissue engineering and other biomedical applications.