Polyelectrolyte coatings with a potential for electronic control and cell sheet engineering

Novel cell culture surfaces grafted with the temperature-responsive polymer poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PIPAAm) allow the non-invasive detachment of confluent cell monolayers simply by reducing the temperature. ([1,2]) The harvested cell sheets are recovered together with their deposited extracellular matrix (ECM) and can be used for tissue reconstruction either by direct transplantation of cell sheets to host tissues or by the creation of three-dimensional structures via the layering of individual cell sheets. In contrast to conventional tissue engineering approaches using biodegradable scaffolds or the injection of isolated cell suspensions, this technique, named cell sheet engineering, allows for reconstruction of cell-dense structures with preservation of the critical cell surface proteins.([2]).