The use of new surface‐modified poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) hydrogels in tissue engineering: Treatment of the surface with fibronectin subunits versus Ac‐CGGASIKVAVS‐OH, cysteine, and 2‐mercaptoethanol modification

Superporous poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) is successfully used as a scaffold material for tissue engineering; however, it lacks functional groups that support cell adhesion. The objective of this study was to investigate the cell‐adhesive properties of biomimetic ligands, such as laminin‐derived Ac‐CGGASIKVAVS‐OH (SIKVAV) peptide and fibronectin subunits (Fn), as well as small molecules exemplified by 2‐mercaptoethanol (ME) and cysteine (Cys), immobilized on a copolymer of 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) with 2‐aminoethyl methacrylate (AEMA) by a maleimide‐thiol coupling reaction. The maleimide group was introduced to the P(HEMA‐AEMA) hydrogels by the reaction of their amino groups with N ‐γ‐maleimidobutyryl‐oxysuccinimide ester (GMBS). Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were used to investigate the cell adhesive properties of the modified hydrogels. A significantly larger area of cell growth as well as a higher cell density were found on Fn‐ and SIKVAV‐modified hydrogels when compared to the ME‐ and Cys‐modified supports or neat P(HEMA‐AEMA). Moreover, Fn‐modification strongly stimulated cell proliferation. The ability of MSCs to differentiate into adipocytes and osteoblasts was maintained on both Fn‐ and SIKVAV‐modifications, but it was reduced on ME‐modified hydrogels and neat P(HEMA‐AEMA). The results show that the immobilization of SIKVAV and Fn‐subunits onto superporous P(HEMA‐AEMA) hydrogels via a GMBS coupling reaction improves cell adhesive properties. The high proliferative activity observed on Fn‐modified hydrogels suggests that the immobilized Fn‐subunits maintain their bioactivity and thus represent a promising tool for application in tissue engineering. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 102A: 2315–2323, 2014.