Hydrogel Patches on Live Cells through Surface-Mediated Polymerization

Pei Jung Wu, Jacob L. Lilly, Roberto Arreaza, Brad J. Berron

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

Many naturally occurring cells possess an intrinsic ability to cross biological barriers that block conventional drug delivery, and these cells offer a possible mode of active transport across the blood-brain barrier or into the core of tumor masses. While many technologies for the formation of complete, nanoparticle-loaded coatings on cells exist, a complete coating on the cell surface would disrupt the interaction of cells with their environments. To address this issue, cell surface patches that partially cover cell surfaces might provide a superior approach for cell-mediated therapeutic delivery. The goal of this study is to establish a simplified approach to producing polymeric patches of arbitrary shapes on a live cell via surface-mediated photopolymerization. Cell surfaces were nonspecifically labeled with eosin, and polyethylene (glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) coatings were directed to specific sites using 530 nm irradiation through a chrome-coated photomask. These coatings may entrap drug-loaded or imaging particles. The extent of nonspecific formation of PEGDA hydrogel coatings increased with irradiation time, light intensity, and initiating species; 40 mW/cm2 irradiation for 5 min delivered high-resolution patterns on the surface of A549 cells, and these cells remained viable for 48 h postpatterning with fluorescent nanoparticle-loaded coatings. This work first demonstrated the feasibility of photopatterning polymer patches directly on the surface of cells.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)6778-6784
Number of pages7
JournalLangmuir
Volume33
Issue number27
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 11 2017

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 American Chemical Society.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Materials Science
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Surfaces and Interfaces
  • Spectroscopy
  • Electrochemistry

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