Cholic acid functionalized star poly (DL-lactide) for promoting cell adhesion and proliferation

Cholic acid functionalized star poly(DL-lactide) was synthesized through the ring-opening polymerization of DL-lactide initiated by cholic acid. The properties and cell behaviour of the cholic acid functionalized star poly(DL-lactide) were investigated as compared with linear poly(DL-lactide)s with different molecular weights and a star poly(DL-lactide) initiated by glycerol. In comparison to linear poly(DL-lactide)s, the cholic acid functionalized star poly(DL-lactide) had better wettability and slightly higher surface energy. The cell adhesion and proliferation on different materials were evaluated using two types of cells, 3T3 mouse fibroblasts and ECV304 human endothelial cells. Compared with the linear poly(DL-lactide)s, the cholic acid functionalized star poly(DL-lactide) showed obviously improved property for cell adhesion. The cell proliferation on the cholic acid functionalized star poly(DL-lactide) was also enhanced. The improvement in cell proliferation was not so significant as compared with the improvement in cell adhesion. This modification strategy provides an effective and simple way to promote cell attachment and growth in tissue engineering. Copyright (c) 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.