A NEW PLASMA-BASED METHOD TO PROMOTE CELL-ADHESION ON MICROMETRIC TRACKS ON POLYSTYRENE SUBSTRATES

A new procedure has been developed in order to obtain heterogeneous po lymer surfaces for the promotion of cell adhesion. For this purpose, a microelectronic photosensitive resin was spin coated on polystyrene ( PS) substrates. The resin was then submitted to UV light irradiation t hrough a mask and partially developed. The sample was further submitte d to a plasma oxygen discharge prior to dissolution of the remaining r esin. The characterization by time of flight secondary ion mass spectr ometry (ToF SIMS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and dynamic contact angle (DCA) allowed us to conclude that hydrophilic paths wer e created on the more hydrophobic PS substrate together with the compl ete removal of the resin. In order to optimize cell adhesion contrast, the modified surfaces were then conditioned with a solution containin g both a surfactant (pluronic F68) and a protein. Two different protei ns were tested (collagen I and fibronectin). PC12 cell cultures on tho se conditioned surfaces showed that cell adhesion occurs only on the h ydrophilic tracks. ToF SIMS spectra and images recorded on those subst rates revealed the presence of the proteins only in the hydrophilic tr acks. In the same time, the surfactant is suspected to adsorb mainly o n the hydrophobic areas of the samples.