Volume 21, Issue 20 p. 3916-3923
Full Paper

Length-Scale Mediated Differential Adhesion of Mammalian Cells and Microbes

Yi Wang,

Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA

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Guruprakash Subbiahdoss,

W.J. Kolff Institute, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands

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Jan Swartjes,

W.J. Kolff Institute, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands

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Henny C. van der Mei,

W.J. Kolff Institute, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands

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Henk J. Busscher,

W.J. Kolff Institute, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Antonius Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands

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Matthew Libera,

Corresponding Author

Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA

Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA.Search for more papers by this author
First published: 30 August 2011
Citations: 56

Abstract

Surfaces of implantable biomedical devices are increasingly engineered to promote their interactions with tissue. However, surfaces that stimulate desirable mammalian cell adhesion, spreading, and proliferation also enable microbial colonization. The biomaterials-associated infection that can result is now a critical clinical problem. We have identified an important mechanism to create a surface that can simultaneously promote healing while reducing the probability of infection. Surfaces are created with submicrometer-sized, non-adhesive microgels patterned on an otherwise cell-adhesive surface. Quantitative force measurements between a staphylococcus and a patterned surface show that the adhesion strength decreases significantly at inter-gel spacings comparable to bacterial dimensions. Time-resolved flow-chamber measurements show that the microbial deposition rate dramatically decreases at these same spacings. Importantly, the adhesion and spreading of osteoblast-like cells is preserved despite the sub-cellular non-adhesive surface features. Since such length-scale-mediated differential interactions do not rely on antibiotics, this mechanism can be particularly significant in mitigating biomaterials-associated infection by antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as MRSA.

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