CPM Seminar

Surface coatings and culture methods to modulate cell responses

Patrick Vermette

Université de Sherbrooke

Controlling the interactions between materials and biomolecule-containing fluids or cells is necessary in numerous research fields and applications. These interactions are central to many analytical systems, including immune-diagnosis, protein microarrays and microfluidic “lab-on-a-chip” devices, only to name a few. My research team has developed low-fouling surfaces with the aim to use these surfaces to limit non-specific protein and cell interactions when exposed to complex biological fluids. These surfaces can bear peptides, proteins, antibodies, and/or growth factors. Such biomimetic surfaces can be used to specifically allow cell adhesion or cell screening in complex biological fluids such as blood and cell culture media. Their use limits the influence of cell-produced and/or serum-derived molecules on the studied cell responses allowing studying only the specific targeted cell responses while limiting non-specific ones. This results in improved data interpretation because cell-produced and/or serum-derived molecules are known to significantly alter cell responses, an aspect particularly important in cell research and culture. Currently, several types of biomimetic surfaces have been produced and validated by us and these include either carboxy-methyl-dextran (CMD) or poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) surfaces bearing a number of biomolecules of the extracellular matrix (ECM) as well as several antibodies that can be used to detect platelet activation and pathogens, for example. We have also developed novel culture methods that use these biomimetic surfaces to study and modulate cell behavior in three-dimensional environments containing dispersed cells.

In my talk, I will present the following aspects of our work:

1. The conception of biomimetic surfaces to promote local adhesion of human endothelial cells and endocrine pancreatic cells for the study of angiogenesis and insulin secretion.
2. The development of culture methods to study and modulate cell responses in three-dimensional environments. For example, I will present a new device to study how separation distance between two cell niches can affect their function. I will also illustrate how biomimetic scaffolds and surfaces can be used to orient microvessel formation.