Artificial fibronectin-mimetic ligands for integrin-mediated cell adhesion to biomaterials

Appropriate surface modification of biomaterials for cell adhesion plays the key role not only in prepration of functional scaffolds for tissue regeneration, but also for in vitro cell culture model studies. Artificial biomaterials allow effective cell adhesion via integrin receptors only if the structures mediating interaction with integrins, e.g. RGDS and PHSRN peptide motifs, are attached in a particular distance, distributed in domains that make possible clustering of integrin molecules. The objective is to prepare an artificial dendritic structure, which could model the spacing of the RGDS and PHSRN carrying 9th and 10th type III repeat of fibronectin domain. The dendron structure will be based on a lysine core and adjustable hydrophilic polyamidespacer arms, carrying RGDS and PHSRN peptide adhesive motifs. Deposition of the biopolymers containing dendric structures on the biomaterial surface should provide for effective biomaterial-cell interaction via alpha5beta1 integrin.