Blood Brothers: Particles Form Strong Bonds in Blood Vessels
Electrohydrodynamic co-jetting creates hybrid biomaterials with a controllable affinity for human endothelial cells
Wiley VCH
In their latest work, reported in the materials science journal Advanced Materials, Professor Lahann and co-workers utilize this system to synthesize dual-compartment, biologically compatible polymer particles with the ability to selectively self-associate with human endothelial cells, found in the lining of blood vessels. When the particles were incubated with these cells, they displayed a strongly specific binding pattern — one hemisphere exhibited strong affinity to the cell surface, while the other had almost none. The explanation? One of the compartments had been modified with the protein streptavidin, which interacts strongly within biological systems. This selective functionalization resulted in spatial control at the cellular level; as only one side of each particle was attracted to the cells, they formed into layers, just one particle thick, on the cell surface.
With the fundamental concept demonstrated, the Lahann group identifies future work in more sophisticated multi-compartmented building blocks, suitable for use in more complex bio-hybrid designs. More fine control over the particle architecture, which will allow for the creation of different particle morphologies and functionalities, will be key to the design of novel, complex systems for use in areas such as regenerative medicine, medical imaging and diagnostics, and microscale energy production and storage.
Original publication: M. Yoshida et al., Adv. Mater. 2009.
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