FIBROUS SUBSTRATES FOR CELL CULTURE

THE AIM OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO INVESTIGATE THE TISSUE-GROWTHENHANCEMENT CAPABILITIES OF FIBROUS POLYMERIC SUBSTRATES PRODUCED BY A NOVEL TECHNIQUE. THIS TECHNIQUE IS CAPABLE OFPRODUCING GEOMETRICALLY DEFINED, NONWOVEN MATS COMPOSED OF 0.1 TO 1.0MU DIAMETER FIBRILS. UNLIKE CONVENTIONAL FIBRILLATION TECHNIQUES, THE PROPOSED TECHNIQUE CAN UTILIZE A LARGE VARIETY OF POLYMERIC SOLUTIONS AS THE FIBRILLATION MEDIUM AND IS ABLE TO INDUCE POLAR MOLECULAR ENRICHMENT ON THE FIBRIL SURFACE. IT IS OUR INTENT TO INVESTIGATE THE USE OF A "DISC INSERT" CONFIGURATION, I.E., THE FIBROUS SUBSTRATE WILL BE CONFIGURED INTO A DISC OF THE PROPER PROPORTIONS SUCH THAT IT CAN READILY BE PLACED INTO AN UNTREATED VESSEL. THIS CONFIGURATION WOULD NOT ONLY ENHANCECELL GROWTH BUT ALSO REDUCE COSTS AND INCREASE EASE OF POSTCULTURE CHARACTERIZATION. THE GOAL IN PHASE I IS TO COMPLETE THE FIBRILLATION DEVICE, PRODUCE THE FIBROUS SUBSTRATES, CULTURE CELLS ON THESE SUBSTRATES, AND INTERPRET THE RESULTS. FOUR PARAMETERS WILLBE VARIED: SUBSTRATE MATERIAL, FIBRIL DIAMETER SURFACE POLARITY, POSTFIBRILLATION TREATMENT, AND TYPE OF CELL CULTURED. CHARACTERIZATION TECHNIQUES WILL INCLUDE ESCA, SIMS, LIGHT AND ELECTRON MICROSCOPY, AND MORPHOLOGICAL STUDIES. IN PHASE II, ADDITIONAL MATERIALS AND PARAMETERS WILL BE INVESTIGATED, WORK ON SCALING-UP THE FIBRILLATION DEVICE WILL BE INITIATED, AND ASSOCIATED IN VITRO AND IN VIVO STUDIES PERFORMED.