Fabrication and characterization of nanostructured and thermosensitive polymer membranes for wound healing and cell grafting

Abstract

Nanostructured, transparent, and thermosensitive membranes synthesized by bicontinuous microemulsion polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm), methyl methacrylate (MMA), and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) using a polymerizable nonionic surfactant, ω-methoxy poly(ethylene oxide) 40 undecyl α-methacrylate macromonomer have recently been reported. In this study, the synthesis and characterization of membranes with various compositions are presented in detail, focusing on the effects of environmental temperature and membrane composition on surface hydrophilicity, cell attachment, and detachment. The membranes synthesized with differing compositions have a nanoporous structure, and are transparent and thermosensitive in their swelling ratio and cell-attachment characteristics. Decreasing the environmental temperature and the MMA content leads to an increase in the wettability of the membrane surface. In addition, both L929 murine neoplastic fibro-blasts and primary human dermal fibroblasts can attach to and detach from the membranes with varying temperature. High cell-attachment and -detachment efficiencies are achieved by optimizing membrane composition and environmental temperature. In addition, the membranes do not show significant cytotoxicity. These membranes have great potential for the construction of a new generation of dressings and cell-delivery systems for wound healing. © 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.