• Hsiao-Cheng Tsai, Jyh-Horng Wang, Yun-An Chen, Li-Kai Tsai, Tai-Horng Young, and Yi-Chen Ethan Li.
• Graduate Institute of Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Dentistry, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei 100, Taiwan.
• J Formos Med Assoc. 2020 Jan 1; 119 (1 Pt 3): 430-438.

Background/PurposeIn vitro neural cell-based models have been widely used to mimic the in vivo neural tissue environments and quantitatively understand the effects of pharmaceutical molecules on neural diseases. Recently, several biomimetic neural tissue models have been widely developed by using biomaterials or surface modification. However, the complex protocols of material synthesis or surface modification lack an easy execution to fabricate the neuron favorite environment.MethodsIn this study, we utilized a layer-by-layer technique as a surface modification method for regulating the behaviors of neural stem/precursor cells (NSPCs) on material surfaces. Polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) via alternate deposition of poly (allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly (sodium-4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) were used to culture NSPCs. After incubation for 7 days, the neuronal differentiation of NSPCs and synapse function of differentiated neurons were identified by immunocytochemistry for lineage specific markers.ResultsCompared with the only PAH film, the PSS-ending film (neuron-rich model) was shown to significantly promote differentiation of NSPCs into neurons (more than 50%), form a neuronal network structure; and differentiated neurons exhibiting functional synaptic activity.ConclusionThis study shows that the PEMs provided an easily alternative approach to modify the surface properties; and might be a method to obtain a neuron-rich model for the biological/pharmaceutical applications.Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.

16 keywords...

hide…