Does UV irradiation affect polymer properties relevant to tissue engineering?

For most tissue engineering approaches aiming at the repair or generation of living tissues the interaction of cells and polymeric biomaterials is of paramount importance. Prior to contact with cells or tissues, biomaterials have to be sterilized. However, many sterilization procedures such as steam autoclave or heat sterilization are known to strongly affect polymer properties. UV irradiation is used as an alternative sterilization method in many tissue engineering laboratories on a routine basis, however, potential alterations of polymer properties have not been extensively considered, In this study we investigated the effects of UV irradiation on spin-cast films made from biodegradable poly(D,L-lactic acid)-poly(ethylene glycol)-monomethyl ether diblock copolymers (Me.PEG-PLA) which have recently been developed for controlled cell-biomaterial interaction. After 2 h of UV irradiation, which is sufficient for sterilization, no alterations in cell adhesion to polymer films were detected, as demonstrated with 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. This correlated with unchanged film topography and molecular weight distribution. However, extended UV irradiation for 5-24 h elicited drastic responses regarding Me.PEG-PLA polymer properties and interactions with biological elements: Large increases in unspecific protein adsorption and subsequent cell adhesion were observed, Changes in polymer surface properties could be correlated with the observed alterations in cell/protein-polymer interactions. Atomic force microscopy analysis of polymer films revealed a marked "smoothing" of the polymer surface after UV irradiation. Investigations using GPC, H-1-NMR, mass spectrometry, and a PEG-specific colorimetric assay demonstrated that polymer film composition was time-dependently affected by exposure to UV irradiation, i.e., that large amounts of PEG were lost from the copolymer surface. The data indicate that sterilization using UV irradiation for 2 h is an appropriate technique for the recently synthesized Me.PEG-PLA diblock copolymers. However, the study also serves as an example that it is indispensable to control the duration of exposure to UV irradiation for a given biomaterial in order not to compromise polymer properties relevant to tissue engineering purposes. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.