Previous studies have shown that the nucleus of cancer cells can deform and wrap themselves around microstructures (post arrays) under certain conditions (Figure 1 a). One key parameter in such systems is the chemical property of the surfaces which controls the affinity of the cells to the substrate. The mechanical parameters of the used materials especially on microstructured surfaces might be of equal importance for the cell adhesion and deformation. In this project we study post arrays that are made from hydrogels, which are very soft materials when swollen in water. The Young’s modulus is in the area of cancer cells so that the cells are even able to deform them. The polymer is crosslinked in the swollen state and the microstructures can be generated by lithographic method. The hydrogel currently employed is based on the cell-repellent polydimethylacrylamide, PDMAA. Because of entropic reasons the surface is however cell attractive. The surface can be modified so that the surface chemistries on top of the pillars and in the valleys between are different. Its surface can be coated with a cell-attractive polymer like poly(dimethylacrylamide - sodium 4-vinylbenzenesulfonate - methylacryloyloxybenzophenone), P(DMAA-SSNa-MABP) or the cell-repellent polymer poly(dimethylacrylamide - methylacryloyloxybenzophenone), P(PDMAA-MABP). By microcontact printing the top of the pillars can be coated with cell-repellent polymer like PDMAA. This finally leads to arrays with cell-attractive valleys and cell-repellent top faces (Figure 1 b). First cell investigations with SaOS-2 cells have shown that the nuclei are deformed on both coated and uncoated microstructures.

Interactions between biosystems and 3D-microstructured surfaces

256th National Meeting (2018)

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