Abstract
Several efforts have been made on the development of bioscaffolds including the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer for supporting cell growth into stable sheets. However, PDMS has several disadvantages, such as intrinsic surface hydrophobicity and mechanical strength. Herein, we generated a novel PDMS-based biomimetic membrane by sequential modifications of the PMDS elastomer with graphene oxide (GO) and addition of a hexagonal micropillar structure at the bottom of the biomembrane. GO was initially homogenously mixed with pure PDMS and then was further coated onto the upper surface of the resultant PDMS. The elastic modulus and hydrophilicity were significantly improved by such modifications. In addition, the development of hexagonal micropillars with smaller diameters largely improved the ion permeability and increased the motion resistance. We further cultured retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells on the surface of this modified PDMS biomembrane and assayed its biocompatibility. Remarkably, the GO incorporation and coating exhibited beneficial effect on the cell growth and the new formation of tight junctions in RPE cells. Taken together, this GO-modified PDMS scaffold with polyhexagonal micropillars may be utilized as an ideal cell sheet and adaptor for cell cultivation and can be used in vivo for the transplantation of cells such as RPE cells.
Highlights
Since the emergence of regenerative medicine and tissue transplantation, investigators have continuously focused on researching the restoration or regeneration of defective tissues [1]
The characteristic features of the PDMS spectra showed a band of asymmetric stretching of Si–O–Si at arounInd t1h1i0s0sctumd−y1., we attempted to develop a modified PDMS-based biomimetic scaffold with graphene oxide (GO)
We demonstrated that different sizes of pillars and different intervals between them impact the mechanical strength
Summary
Since the emergence of regenerative medicine and tissue transplantation, investigators have continuously focused on researching the restoration or regeneration of defective tissues [1]. Transplantation or engineering of tissues require three key components: cells, scaffolds, and cell signals [2]. The transplanted cells must attain the appropriate phenotypes in order to recover specific functions and physiology in the target organs of recipients. Cell signals, such as growth factors, cytokines, or bioactive molecules, are crucial for the maintenance or induction of cell growth and normal biological functions. The scaffolds house the cells, provide structural support for cell attachment, and substitute for the impaired tissue microenvironment. To promote the interaction among cells, scaffolds, and cell signals, the suitable materials of biomimetic scaffold for microenvironment reconstruction have been extensively studied in different transplanted cells [3]
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