Spheroid organization kinetics of H35 rat hepatoma model cell system on elastin-like polypeptide-polyethyleneimine copolymer substrates.

Abstract

Though two-dimensional systems have yielded some success in deriving morphological and functional markers of hepatocyte culture, they largely fail to capture the three-dimensional organization, long-term viability, and functionality of the hepatic tissue. We have engineered a system for inducing self-assembly of model H35 rat hepatoma spheroids using a copolymer comprised of biocompatible elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) chemically conjugated to positively charged polyethyleneimine (PEI). We have achieved a conjugation ratio of 30 mol %, though our studies analyzing spheroid organization kinetics indicate conjugate ratios of 5 mol % and greater to be optimal for cell culture based on least variability in spheroid sizes and minimum incidence of overgrown aggregates. Furthermore, our ELP-PEI system indicated the potential for influencing ultimate spheroid dimensions, with spheroid size inversely related to polyelectrolyte conjugation. Overall, this study provides a good starting point to investigate functional correlations between spheroid size and functional markers and their future use as an in vitro diagnostic or tissue engineering tool.

• Authors: Paul A Turner, C Andrew Weeks, Austin J McMurphy, Amol V Janorkar
• Journal: Journal of biomedical materials research. Part A (J Biomed Mater Res A) Vol. 102 Issue 3 Pg. 852-61 (Mar 2014) ISSN: 1552-4965 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 23564487 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers.

Chemical References

• Biocompatible Materials
• Peptides
• Polyethyleneimine
• Elastin

Topics

• Animals
• Biocompatible Materials (chemistry)
• Cell Culture Techniques (methods)
• Elastin (chemistry)
• Hepatocytes (cytology)
• Kinetics
• Liver (cytology)
• Peptides (chemistry)
• Polyethyleneimine (chemistry)
• Rats
• Spheroids, Cellular (cytology)
• Tissue Scaffolds (chemistry)
• Tumor Cells, Cultured (cytology)