GROWTH OF EPITHELIAL CELLS ON TEXTURED SURFACES

THE MICROMETER SCALE PHYSICAL TOPOGRAPHY, OR MICROTEXTURE, OF BIOMATERIAL SURFACES BEARS STRONGLY ON ENDOTHELIAL AND SOFT TISSUE CELL ADHESION AND GROWTH ON THESE SURFACES. ION BEAM SURFACE TEXTURING TECHNOLOGY, DEVELOPED IN THIS AND OTHER LABORATORIES, OFFERS PRECISE CONTROL OF THE SIZE, SHAPE, AND DENSITY OF MICROMETER SCALE SURFACE TEXTURE FEATURES. WE SUGGEST A TWO STAGE PROJECT TO INVESTIGATE ION BEAM TEXTURED ORGANIC SURFACES AS SUBSTRATES FOR EPITHELIAL CELL GROWTH. FIRST THE PROGRAM WILL INVESTIGATE THE ROLE OF SURFACE TEXTURE IN PROMOTING GROWTH OF EPITHELIAL CELLS IN CULTURE AND ESTABLISH A SURFACE MORPHOLOGY WHICH OPTIMIZES THE RATE AT WHICH EPITHELIAL CELLS PLATE OUT OF SOLUTION ONTO THIS SUBSTRATE. FOR IN-VITRO INVESTIGATIONS, THIS TECHNIQUE MAY PROVIDE SUPERIOR CULTURE VESSELS FOR EPITHELIAL CELLS WHICH ARE DIFFICULT TO CULTURE. THE SECOND STAGE OF THE PROJECT WILL INVESTIGATE THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL TEXTURE ON BIOMATERIALS TO CREATE AN IMPROVED SKIN REPAIR SYSTEM FOR CATASTROPHIC BURN VICTIMS.