Matrix Protein Interactions with Synthetic Surfaces

Based on the hypothesis that material substrates are able to trigger the regeneration of a cell population by making use of tissue engineering techniques. Within the context of the cell-protein-material interaction paradigm, this chapter presents a comprehensive description of the interface between material surfaces and living cells, including protein adsorption, cell adhesion, and matrix remodeling phenomena at the cell-material interface. Cell adhesion involves different physicochemical phenomena, in which several biological molecules participate: extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, cell membrane proteins, and cytoskeleton proteins. The initial cell–material interaction usually involves the adsorption of proteins such as fibronectin (FN), vitronectin (VN), fibrinogen (FG), representing the so-called soluble matrix proteins in the biological fluids. The adsorption of proteins onto the surface of a biomaterial from the surrounding fluid phase is a complex, dynamic, energy-driven process, controlled by protein properties, material surface properties, and solution conditions.