POWRE: Development of Biocompatible Sensors Using Endothelial Cells

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0074761AndersonThe development of implantable sensors for detecting biomolecules such as important ions in physiological fluids has currently become the focus of increasing investigation. One major problem with common implantable sensors is their poor biocompatibility. The body recognizes these synthetic sensors as foreign substances and promotes undesirable adhesion of proteins to the surfaces. One potential solution to this problem is to introduce endothelial cells onto the sensor surface to increase its biocompatibility. Endothelial cells line the interior surface of blood vessels and form the interface between the vessel wall and the flowing blood. Consequently, they are not foreign to the body and the protein fouling will possibly be eliminated. The objective of this project is to attach human umbilical veins endothelial cells (HUVECs) to cellulose triacetate (CTA) membranes through receptor/ligand interactions for use as the basis for increased biocompatible ion--selective electrodes. Briefly, the CTA membrane will be covalently immobilized with cell-surface receptor recognition sequence Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD). The endothelial cells will then be seeded on the modified CT A membrane surface and allowed to attach at 37 degrees Celsius in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2. The work will investigate the attachment and growth of the endothelial cells to the CTA membranes and test the analytical performance of these surface modified membrane electrodes. The ultimate goal of the work will be to optimize the transport of ions across the endothelial cell coated surface membrane and hence, optimize sensor response while maintaining biocompatibility.