GT70 - Abstract Preview
GT70
Symposium: S01 - General Session
Poster Presentation
 
 

Biological evaluation of PLLA membranes, with different pore diameters, to stimulate cell adhesion and growth in vitro

Montesanto Salvatore (1), Fucarino Alberto (1), Bucchieri Fabio (1), La Carrubba Vincenzo (1)*, Brucato Valerio (1)

(1) Università di Palermo - Palermo - Italy

A three-dimensional scaffold to favour the growth of human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE) must be thin, porous, mechanically stable, permeable to nutrients and must support the cell adhesion process. In this work, poly (L)-lactide membrane with different surface morphologies were prepared through a Diffusion Induced Phase Separation (DIPS) protocol starting from a ternary solution made of polymer, dioxane (solvent) and water (non-solvent). The surface morphological characteristics of a PLLA membrane play a crucial role in the interaction between cells and scaffold. Two kinds of phenomena take place in the adhesion process: proteins adsorption and proteins-cells interactions. Indeed, the presence of surface defects, which can have dimensions ranging from those of proteins (about 1 -10 nm) to those of cells (about 1- 100 m), strongly influence cell-biomaterial interaction. Hence, cell adhesion is important to evaluate the cell-biomaterial interaction for the prediction of possible in vivo reactions when these polymers are used to substitute body parts or to stimulate the regeneration of damaged tissues. Aim of this study is the biological evaluation of PLLA membranes, with different pore diameters, to stimulate cell adhesion and growth in vitro. The film morphology, mechanical and thermal characteristics were investigated by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).