MECHANISM OF INITIAL ATTACHMENT OF CELLS DERIVED FROM HUMAN BONE TO COMMONLY USED PROSTHETIC MATERIALS DURING CELL-CULTURE

The suitability of polymeric biomaterials as surfaces for the attachme nt and growth of cells has often been investigated in cell culture. In this study the contribution that serum fibronectin (Fn) or vitronecti n (Vn) make to the attachment and spreading of cells cultured from exp lanted human bone (bone-derived cells) during the first 90 min of cult ure was determined for metallic and ceramic surfaces. The requirement for Fn or Vn for attachment and spreading of bone-derived cells onto s tainless steel 316 (SS), titanium (Ti) and alumina (Al2O3) and to poly ethyleneterephthalate (PET) was directly tested by selective removal o f Fn or Vn from the serum prior to addition to the culture medium. Att achment and spreading of bone-derived cells onto SS, Ti and Al2O3 surf aces were reduced by 73-83% when the cells were seeded in medium conta ining serum from which the Vn had been removed. Cell attachment and sp reading on these surfaces when seeded in medium containing Fn-depleted serum (which contained Vn) were not reduced to the same extent as in the medium containing Vn-depleted serum. The bone-derived cells failed to attach to the surfaces to the same extent when seeded in medium co ntaining serum depleted of both Vn and Fn. Our results show that for h uman bone-derived cells, the attachment and spreading of cells onto SS , Ti and Al2O3 as well as PET during the first 90 min of a cell cultur e attachment assay are a function of adsorption of serum Vn onto the s urface.