Study of cellular adhesion and viability on modified nitinol surfaces

CHED 692

Lisa N. Barriger, barrigerl@duq.edu, Rosalynn Quiñones, quinone305@duq.edu, and Ellen S. Gawalt, gawalte@duq.edu. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Duquesne University, 600 Forbes Avenue, 338 Mellon Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15282
Post operative scar tissue growth is one of the main complications with medical implants. A proposed solution utilizes surface modification of nitinol to prevent cellular adhesion on the surface of the implant metal. Specifically, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are used to attach the polymer polyethylene glycol (PEG) to the native oxide surface of the nitinol. In order to test the effectiveness of PEG at reducing cellular adhesion and maintaining cellular viability on nitinol, cellular adhesion tests incorporating live/dead assays and cell counting with fibroblasts were performed. By comparing the results from controls, SAM modified, and PEG modified substrates, the effectiveness of the modification at reducing cellular adhesion on nitinol was determined.
 

Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Polymer Chemistry
11:00 AM-1:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster

Division of Chemical Education

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008