Selective Cell Adhesion and Detachment on Antibody-Immobilized Thermoresponsive Surfaces by Temperature Changes

Anti-CD90 antibody-immobilized thermoresponsive (AIT) surfaces were prepared for obtaining temperature-triggered switching of the selective adhesion and detachment of CD90-expressed cells. Thymic carcinoma cells (Ty-82) expressing CD90 molecules on the cellular surface were unable to adhere to isotype AIT surfaces and aggregated. In contrast, Ty-82 cells selectively adhered to anti-CD90 AIT surfaces at 37°C. These results indicate that Ty-82 cells adhered to CD90 antibody-immobilized surfaces through affinity interaction, not through nonspecific interactions when grafted thermoresponsive polymer chains shrunk at 37°C. Adhered cells were detached from surfaces by lowering temperature to 20°C with pipetting. Although affinity interaction between cells and immobilized antibodies was decreased by the dynamic swelling of grafted thermoresponsive polymer chains by lowering temperature to 20°C, the application of additional force such as pipetting was required to completely detach adhered cells. Through temperature-induced changes in affinity interaction, the condensation of CD90-positive Ty-82 cells was carried out by using anti-CD90 AIT surfaces. AIT surfaces for regulating selective cell adhesion and detachment were then successfully prepared. A novel bioassembler technology using AIT surfaces could thus be useful for temperature-dependent selective cell adhesion/detachment such as cell separation.