The paper written by scientists from the Laboratory of Hybrid Biomaterials of TPU Department of Experimental Physics was cited in Materials Today journal with IF 21,695. A research team from Hong Kong that studies functionalized polymer surface used for the production of modern implants made a reference to the scientific paper of TPU researchers dealing with the impact of RF plasma on surface properties and biocompatibility of biodegradable polymers for tissue engineering.
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In their paper Functional Polymer Surfaces to Control Cell Behavior scientists from Hong Kong Polytechnic University Lina Chen, Casey Yan and Zijian Zheng present an overview of modern methods to control cell behavior, including cell adhesion processes, orientation, migration and differentiation of cell across the artificial surface.
The paper gives a comprehensive analysis of functional polymer surfaces, discusses various methods applied in their creation, lists parameters of efficient cell behavior control, and provides future outlook and considers issues of biomedical engineering.
The authors point out that polymer surfaces with high ratio of free energy may foster adhesion and distribution of cells across the surface, while polymer surfaces with low ratio of free energy may suppress cell behavior irrespective of the fact whether a polymer surface is modified or not.
Hong Kong scientists made a reference to findings of TPU research team supervised by the associate professor of TPU Department of Experimental Physics Sergey Tverdokhlyobov. The aforesaid paper studies the interaction between cell adhesion and free substrate surface across a polymer surface.
The Effect of Radio Frequency Discharge Plasma on Surface Properties and Biocompatibility of Polycaprolactone Matrices written by TPU researchers together with their colleagues from Kemerovo Research Institute for Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Diseases (NII KPSSZ) studies the effect of surface modification of bioresorbable polymer material (polycaprolactone, PCL) with abnormal glow discharge, initiated during radio-frequency magnetron sputtering of a hydroxyapatite target.
TPU scientists analyzed plasma exposure of PCL surface on bone marrow multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells behavior (BM MSCs). It was identified that modification of polymer surface with abnormal glow discharge stimulated adhesion and subsequent proliferation of BM MSCs. This type of plasma modification did not affect cell viability (apoptosis, necrosis). Thus, the surface modification with abnormal glow discharge, initiated during radio-frequency magnetron sputtering of a hydroxyapatite target, appeared to be a promising method of surface modification of bioresorbable polymer material (PCL) for tissue engineering.
“The fact that TPU findings were listed in such a reputable journal as Materials Today confirms the importance, potential and high level of research conducted at TPU,” said Sergey Tverdokhlyobov.