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Developing methacrylate‐based copolymers as an artificial Bruch's membrane substitute
Author(s) -
Treharne Andrew J.,
Thomson Heather A. J.,
Grossel Martin C.,
Lotery Andrew J.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of biomedical materials research part a
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.849
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1552-4965
pISSN - 1549-3296
DOI - 10.1002/jbm.a.34178
Subject(s) - materials science , surface modification , scaffold , cell adhesion , methacrylate , retinal pigment epithelium , cell culture , ethylene glycol , peg ratio , biophysics , adhesion , copolymer , retinal , biomedical engineering , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , biology , medicine , biochemistry , polymer , composite material , genetics , organic chemistry , finance , economics
Age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of blindness in the developed world. There is currently no treatment for the cellular loss, which is characteristic of AMD. Transplantation of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells represents a potential therapy. Because of AMD‐related pathology in the native support, Bruch's membrane, transplanted RPE cells require a scaffold to reside on. We present here the development of an electrospun fibrous scaffold derived from methyl methacrylate and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) methacrylate for novel application as an RPE scaffold. Scaffolds were chemically modified to improve cell adhesion by functionalization not previously reported for this type of copolymer system. A human RPE cell line was used to investigate cell‐scaffold interactions for up to two weeks in vitro . Scanning electron microscopy was used to characterize the fibrous scaffolds and confirm cell attachment. By day 15, cell area was significantly ( p < 0.001) enhanced on scaffolds with chemical modification of the PEG chain terminus. In addition, significantly, less‐apoptotic cell death was demonstrable on these modified surfaces. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 100A: 2358–2364, 2012.