Chemical vapor deposited polyelectrolyte coatings with osteoconductive and osteoinductive activities

Abstract

We report solvent-free incorporation of osteogenic coatings including polycations, polyanions, and polyampholytes on the polystyrene cell culture plates via initiated chemical vapor deposition. The osteoconductive and osteoinductive properties of coatings with different surface charges were systematically studied in vitro. Initial adhesion of preosteoblast cells was significantly improved by the negatively charged and mixed charged coatings but was inhibited by the positively charged one. Compared with the control, all the polyelectrolyte coated surfaces presented similar cell proliferation and higher differentiation after 10 days of culture, indicating their positive effects on osteoconduction and osteoinduction. The surface charge of vapor-deposited coatings helped to induce nucleation and crystallization of apatites during mineralization. Of all the coated surfaces, the Ca/P ratio in apatites formed on the coated surfaces with mixed charges was closest to that in natural apatite-mineralized bones.