The linker-free covalent attachment of collagen to plasma immersion ion implantation treated polytetrafluoroethylene and subsequent cell-binding activity

It is desirable that polymers used for the fabrication of prosthetic implants promote biological functions such as cellular adhesion, differentiation and viability. In this study, we have used plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) to modify the surface of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), thereby modulating the binding mechanism of collagen. The amount of collagen bound to the polymer surface following PIII-treatment was similar to that bound by non-covalent physisorption. In a manner consistent with previous enzyme and tropoelastin binding data, the collagen bound to the PIII-treated PTFE surface was resistant to sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) elution whilst collagen bound to the untreated surface was fully removed. This demonstrates the capability of PIII-treated surfaces to covalently attach collagen without employing chemical linking molecules. Only the collagen bound to the PIII-treated PTFE surface supported human dermal fibroblast attachment and spreading. This indicates that collagen on the PIII-treated surface possesses increased adhesive activity as compared to that on the untreated surface. Cell adhesion was inhibited by EDTA when the collagen was bound to PIII-treated PTFE, as expected for integrin involvement. Additionally this adhesion was sensitive to the conformation of the bound collagen. Increased actin cytoskeletal assembly was observed on cells spreading onto collagen-coated PIII-treated PTFE compared to the collagen-coated untreated PTFE. These data demonstrate the retention of collagen's biological properties following its attachment to PIII-treated PTFE, suggesting advantages for tissue engineering and prosthetic design.