Synthetic Polymers Provide a Robust Substrate for Functional Neuron Culture
Yichuan Zhang (The University of Edinburgh, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
Seshasailam Venkateswaran (The University of Edinburgh)
Gustavo A. Higuera (Erasmus MC)
Suvra Nath (Student TU Delft)
Guy Shpak (Erasmus MC)
Jeffrey Matray (Student TU Delft)
Lidy E. Fratila-Apachitei (TU Delft - Biomaterials & Tissue Biomechanics)
Amir A. Zadpoor (TU Delft - Biomaterials & Tissue Biomechanics)
Steven A. Kushner
Mark Bradley (The University of Edinburgh)
Chris I. De Zeeuw (Erasmus MC)
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Abstract
Substrates for neuron culture and implantation are required to be both biocompatible and display surface compositions that support cell attachment, growth, differentiation, and neural activity. Laminin, a naturally occurring extracellular matrix protein is the most widely used substrate for neuron culture and fulfills some of these requirements, however, it is expensive, unstable (compared to synthetic materials), and prone to batch-to-batch variation. This study uses a high-throughput polymer screening approach to identify synthetic polymers that supports the in vitro culture of primary mouse cerebellar neurons. This allows the identification of materials that enable primary cell attachment with high viability even under “serum-free” conditions, with materials that support both primary cells and neural progenitor cell attachment with high levels of neuronal biomarker expression, while promoting progenitor cell maturation to neurons.
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