Heparin-carrying polystyrene (HCPS)-bound collagen substratum to immobilize heparin-binding growth factors and to enhance cellular growth

Heparin-carrying polystyrene (HCPS), consisting of low molecular weight hep arin chains linked to a synthetic polystyrene core, is able to attach to po lymeric surfaces. In this study, HCPS has efficiently bound to collagen-coa ted micro-plates and collagen membranes thereby retaining the binding of he parin-binding growth factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (V EGF)(165) or fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2. Both human skin fibroblast c ells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells have shown a good adherence to both collagen- and HCPS-bound collagen substrata. The growth rate of th e fibroblast cells on the HCPS-bound collagen substratum in the presence of low concentrations of FGF-2 is higher than on a collagen surface. The fibr oblast cells grow at a significantly higher rate on the HCPS-bound collagen substratum retained with FGF-2. Similarly, the growth rate of the endothel ial cells on the HCPS-bound collagen substrata in the presence of low conce ntrations of either FGF-2 or VEGF(165) is higher than on collagen. The endo thelial cells also grow at a significantly higher rate on the HCPS-bound co llagen substratum retained with either FCF-2 or VEGF(165). These results in dicate that HCPS-bound collagen substrata with various bioactive heparin-bi nding molecules may provide novel biomaterials controlling cellular activit ies such as growth and differentiation. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.