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Biomedical subjects

David G Castner

Publications and source records attributed to David G Castner.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Guided cell patterning on gold-silicon dioxide substrates by surface molecular engineering.

We report an effective approach to patterning cells on gold-silicon dioxide substrates with high precision, selectivity, stability, and reproducibility. This technique is based on photolithography and surface molecular engineering and requires no cell positioning or delivery devices, thus significantly reducing the potential damage to cells. The cell patterning was achieved by activating the gold regions of the substrate with functionalized thiols that covalently bind proteins onto the gold regions to guide subsequent cell adhesion while passivating the silicon dioxide background with polyethylene glycol to resist cell adhesion. Fourier transform infrared reflectance spectroscopy verified the successful immobilization of proteins on gold surfaces. Protein patterns were visualized by tagging proteins with Rhodamine fluorescent probes. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry was used to characterize the chemistry of both the cell-adhesive and cell-resistant regions of surfaces after each key chemical reaction occurring during the molecular surface engineering. The ability of the engineered surfaces to guide cell adhesion was illustrated by differential interference contrast (DIC) reflectance microscopy. The cell patterning technique introduced in this study is compatible with micro- and photo-electronics, and may have many medical, environmental, and defense applications.

Animals↗

Preserving the structure of adsorbed protein films for time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis.

The characterization of adsorbed protein films with ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) surface analysis techniques requires dehydration of the samples, which can cause significant alterations in protein structure. It is desirable to preserve the structure of adsorbed protein films during drying, so UHV analysis could be done in a state that is more representative of proteins' actual structure in the aqueous environment. In this study, two methods, trehalose protection and glutaraldehyde fixation, were explored for their feasibility in preserving adsorbed protein structure for a powerful UHV surface analysis technique, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). Trehalose protection had shown some promise for ToF-SIMS analysis in our previous study and was further examined with the model protein fibrinogen in this study. Using the combination of principal component analysis (PCA) and static ToF-SIMS analysis, we found that trehalose protection could reduce the conformation change of fibrinogen upon drying, and prevent it from unfolding and exposing hydrophobic domains. Moreover, when the adsorbed protein film became more densely packed, the drying-induced changes in protein structure were reduced. Thus, the protection afforded by trehalose coating was more significant at lower protein surface concentrations. The other method, glutaraldehyde fixation, was used in ToF-SIMS analysis for the first time. The epsilon-amino group of lysine was identified as the major reactive group in the protein structure toward glutaraldehyde fixation. Structural differences observed between fibrinogen films that were glutaraldehyde fixed before drying and after drying were similar to those observed between trehalose-protected and-unprotected dried fibrinogen films. Glutaraldehyde fixation was found to be a viable, alternative stabilizing method to trehalose protection for ToF-SIMS analysis.

Adsorption↗

Quantitative analysis of binary adsorbed protein films by time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry.

Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) is an ideal technique for the analysis of adsorbed protein films because of its surface sensitivity and chemical specificity. In this study, we examined ToF-SIMS with the multivariate calibration method partial least squares regression (PLSR) for the determination of the relative abundance of the components in binary protein films adsorbed onto mica, PTFE, and heptyl amine plasma polymer substrates. These results have been compared with independently measured 125I-radiolabeled protein adsorption experiments. By applying PLSR to the ToF-SIMS data, the relative abundance of the components in the binary adsorbed protein films was quantified, and the agreement between the ToF-SIMS and 125I-radiolabeling data was measured by the root mean square prediction error (RMSPE). Differences in protein quantification by PLSR and 125I-radiolabeling ranged from 5 to 25 mass % RMSPE and were highly dependent on the structure of the adsorbed protein film, the substrate surface chemistry and morphology, and the number of latent variables retained in the PLSR model. The limit of detection for the minor component in the adsorbed protein film was found to be approximately 10 mass %. This study demonstrates that the combination of ToF-SIMS and multivariate calibration provide complementary information to 125I-radiolabeling about the composition and structure of binary adsorbed protein films.

Adsorption↗

Peptide-modified p(AAm-co-EG/AAc) IPNs grafted to bulk titanium modulate osteoblast behavior in vitro.

Interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) of poly(acrylamide-co-ethylene glycol/acrylic acid) (p(AAm-co-EG/AAc) applied to model surfaces prevent protein adsorption and cell adhesion. Subsequently, IPN surfaces functionalized with the RGD cell-binding domain from rat bone sialoprotein (BSP) modulated bone cell adhesion, proliferation, and matrix mineralization. The objective of this study was to utilize the same biomimetic modification strategy to produce functionally similar p(AAm-co-EG/AAc) IPNs on clinically relevant titanium surfaces. Contact angle goniometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data were consistent with the presence of the intended surface modifications. Cellular response was gauged by challenging the surfaces with primary rat calvarial osteoblast (RCO) surfaces in serum-containing media. IPN modified titanium and negative control (RGE-IPN) surfaces inhibit cell adhesion and proliferation, while RGD-modified IPNs on titanium supported osteoblast attachment and spreading. Furthermore, the latter surfaces supported significant mineralization despite exhibiting lower levels of proliferation than positive control surfaces. These results suggest that with the appropriate optimization, this approach may be practical for surface engineering of osseous implants.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Characterizing multicomponent adsorbed protein films using electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, and radiolabeling: capabilities and limitations.

Characterization of complex adsorbed protein films is a critical aspect of biomaterials science, particularly in understanding the in vivo response to biomaterials. The surface analysis techniques electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) are particularly suited to the analysis of complex adsorbed protein films due to their wide applicability to a variety of materials. We have investigated the applicability of ESCA for studying the structure of adsorbed serum and plasma protein layers. ESCA was able to monitor the thickness of the adsorbed protein film. Due to its chemical specificity, ToF-SIMS was used to estimate the composition of the plasma and serum protein layers by comparison of their spectra with the spectra of single protein films. The limit of detection of ToF-SIMS for the plasma protein fibrinogen was determined by comparison with independent radiolabeled fibrinogen adsorption measurements. While ToF-SIMS was able to determine some qualitative trends in the composition of the plasma protein films as a function of adsorption time, the detection limit of the minor components in multicomponent adsorbed protein films ultimately limits the ability of ToF-SIMS to quantify the composition of these films. However, both ESCA and ToF-SIMS can provide useful information on adsorbed plasma protein films without further sample treatment. This study outlines the strengths and weaknesses of ESCA and ToF-SIMS for studying multicomponent adsorbed plasma protein films.

Adsorption↗

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry: techniques and applications for the characterization of biomaterial surfaces.

The surface of a biomaterial plays a critical role in the success of an implant. Much effort is currently being focused on controlling the chemistry at biomaterial surfaces to ensure favorable results in vivo. The successful tailoring of the surface chemistry will require a detailed surface characterization to verify that the desired changes have been made. This will include the ability to determine the composition, structure, orientation, and spatial distribution, of the molecules and chemical structures on the surface. TOF-SIMS is a powerful surface characterization technique that is able to address these requirements through both spectral analysis and direct chemical state imaging. The flexibility of the TOF-SIMS technique, and the wealth of data produced have generated much interest in its use for biomaterial characterization. This review discusses the strengths, weaknesses, and challenges of static TOF-SIMS for biomaterial surface characterization. First the basic principles of TOF-SIMS are introduced, giving an overview of the technique. Next, sample type, and other sample considerations are discussed. Then data interpretation is overviewed using examples from both spectral and imaging data. Finally, quantitative SIMS analysis is discussed and an outlook for TOF-SIMS analysis of biomaterials will be given.

Biocompatible Materials↗

Sequential robust design methodology and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to analyze the grafting of hyaluronic acid to glass substrates.

Sequential Robust Design experiments and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) studies were performed to examine the immobilization of hyaluronic acid (HA) on glass substrates chemisorbed with N-(2-aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane (EDS). Numerous reaction conditions were investigated, including the concentrations of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC), N-hydroxysulfosuccinimide (Sulfo-NHS), and HA, and the reaction buffer type, concentration, and pH. The elemental surface compositions of carbon and silicon (C/Si ratio) were used to assess the extent of HA immobilization, leading to the identification of critical HA-binding reaction conditions and the determination of an optimum surface chemistry. The optimum chemistry consisted of 200 mM EDC, 50 mM Sulfo-NHS, 10 mM N-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine-N'-(2-ethanesulfonic acid) (HEPES) buffer at a pH of 7.0, and 3 mg/mL HA. This work emphasizes the advantages of using Robust Design methods over traditional statistical experimental design, particularly when large numbers of variables are examined and costly analytical techniques are employed.

Adhesiveness↗

Interpretation of static time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectra of adsorbed protein films by multivariate pattern recognition.

Multivariate analysis has become increasingly common in the analysis of multidimensional spectral data. We previously showed that the multivariate analysis technique principal component analysis (PCA) is an excellent method for interpreting the static time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) spectra of adsorbed protein films. PCA is an unsupervised pattern recognition technique that loses resolution between spectra of different proteins as more proteins are added to the data set due to large within-group variation. The supervised pattern recognition techniques discriminant principal component analysis (DPCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA), which aim to control within-group variation while maximizing between-group separation to enhance discrimination between groups, were compared with PCA using data sets of TOF-SIMS spectra of proteins adsorbed onto mica and PTFE substrates. DPCA and LDA quantitatively improved discrimination between groups and provided different information about the data than PCA. LDA was able to classify unknown samples with a misclassification rate lower than PCA or DPCA. Both unsupervised and supervised pattern recognition techniques are useful for the interpretation and classification of static TOF-SIMS spectra of adsorbed protein films.

Adsorption↗

Ultrasensitive probing of the protein resistance of PEG surfaces by secondary ion mass spectrometry.

The highly sensitive surface analytical techniques X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and time-of-flight static secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) were used to test the resistance of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) coatings towards adsorption of lysozyme (LYS) and fibronectin (FN). PEG coatings were prepared by grafting methoxy-terminated aldehyde-PEG (MW 5000 Da) onto two amino-functionalised surfaces with different amine group densities, generated by radio frequency glow discharge polymerisation of n-heptylamine and allylamine. Grafting was performed at the lower critical solution temperature to maximise the graft density of the PEG chains. XPS showed that the grafted density of PEG chains was slightly higher on the allylamine surface. XPS detected no adsorption of either protein on either PEG coating. ToF-SIMS analysis, on the other hand, found, in the positive ion spectra, minute but statistically significant signals assignable to amino acid fragment ions from both proteins adsorbed to the lower density PEG coating and from LYS but not FN on the higher density PEG coating. Negative ion spectra contained relatively more intense protein fragment ion signals for the lower density PEG coating but no changes assignable to adsorbed proteins on the higher density PEG coating. These results demonstrate the importance of utilising highly sensitive techniques to study protein adsorption on surfaces intended to be protein resistant, and that both positive and negative ion ToF-SIMS spectra should be acquired to probe for possible very low levels of protein adsorption.

Adsorption↗

PEO-like plasma polymerized tetraglyme surface interactions with leukocytes and proteins: in vitro and in vivo studies.

Polyethylene oxide (PEO) surfaces reduce non-specific protein and cell interactions with implanted biomaterials and may improve their biocompatibility. PEO-like polymerized tetraglyme surfaces were made by glow discharge plasma deposition onto fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer (FEP) substrates and were shown to adsorb less than 10 ng/cm2 of fibrinogen in vitro. The ability of the polymerized tetraglyme surfaces to resist leukocyte adhesion was studied in vitro and in vivo. Polymerized tetraglyme and FEP were implanted subcutaneously in mice and removed after 1 day or 4 weeks. Histological analysis showed a similar degree of fibrous encapsulation around all of the 4-week implants. Darkly stained wells were present in the fibrous tissues at the tissue-material interface of both FEP and tetraglyme. Scanning electron micrographs showed that in vivo macrophage adhesion to polymerized tetraglyme was much higher than to FEP. After 2-hour contact with heparinized whole blood, polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) adhesion to polymerized tetraglyme was much higher than to FEP, while platelet adhesion to polymerized tetraglyme was lower than to FEP. When PMNs isolated from blood were suspended in 10% autologous plasma, cell adhesion to polymerized tetraglyme was higher than to FEP; however when the cells were suspended in heat inactivated serum, cell adhesion to FEP was higher than to polymerized tetraglyme. The surface chemistry of polymerized tetraglyme did not change after 2-hour blood contact, but displayed nitrogen functional groups after 1-day implantation and became slightly degraded after 4-week implantation. The surface chemistry of FEP did not change significantly after blood contact or implantation. Loosely bound proteins such as fibrinogen on polymerized tetraglyme may contribute to the adhesion of PMNs and macrophages and ultimately to fibrous encapsulation (the foreign body response) around the implants.

Adsorption↗

Limits of detection for time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS): detection of low amounts of adsorbed protein.

Characterization of biomaterial surfaces requires analytical techniques that are capable of detecting a wide concentration range of adsorbed protein. This range includes detection of low amounts of adsorbed protein (<10 ng/cm2) that may be present on non-fouling biomaterials. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) are surface sensitive techniques capable of detecting adsorbed proteins. We have investigated the lower limits of detection of both XPS and ToF-SIMS on four model substrates each presenting unique challenges for analysis by XPS and ToF-SIMS: mica, poly(tetrafluoroethylene), allyl amine plasma polymer and heptyl amine plasma polymer. The detection limit for XPS ranged from 10 ng/cm2 of fibrinogen (on mica) to 200 ng/cm2 (on allyl amine plasma polymers). The detection limit for ToF-SIMS ranged from 0.1 ng/cm2 of fibrinogen to 100 ng/cm2, depending on the substrate and data analysis. Optimal conditions provided detection limits between 0.1 ng/cm2 and 15 ng/cm2 on all of the substrates used in this study. While both techniques were shown to be effective in detecting protein, the sensitivity of both XPS and ToF-SIMS was shown to be dependent on substrate surface chemistry and the organization of the adsorbed protein film. This study specifically highlights the applicability of ToF-SIMS in the characterization of low level protein adsorption.

Adsorption↗