Effect of the physicochemical properties of poly(ethylene glycol) brushes on their binding to cells

We investigated the effect of the number of oxyethylene groups (polymer molecular weight) and the interchain binding and/or entanglements of methoxy-terminated-poly(ethylene glycol) (m-PEG) brushes on their ability to adsorb to living malignant melanoma B16F10 cells. We used the atomic force microscope colloid probe method to determine the adhering ability of the m-PEG brushes to the cells, as the magnitude of the adhesion force between the m-PEG modified particles and the living cells in a physiological buffer was related to the binding strength of the m-PEGs to the cells. We saw that m-PEG brushes (average molecular weights 330, 1900, and 5000 g/mol), which were chemically attached to silica particles, may bind to living B16F10 cells. The binding of m-PEGs to living B16F10 cells increased as the oxyethylene chain length of the m-PEGs increased, if the m-PEGs had a low degree of entanglements or little inter-m-PEG chain binding. A high degree of entanglements or interchain binding decreased the ability of an m-PEG chain to bind to a living cell. The effect of m-PEG (molecular weight 1900 g/mol) being present at cell surfaces for 24 h was also seen not to induce the death of the cells or affect their growth.