Tailoring cell adhesion using surface-grafted polymer gradient assemblies

Surface-grafted polymer assemblies with a gradient in molecular weight (MW) and/or grafting density (sigma) are used to tune protein adsorption, which consequently governs cell adhesion. Increasing the surface coverage of the polymer by increasing the MW and/or sigma results in a decrease in the amount of protein adsorbed, which causes a decrease in the number of cells adhered and a change in cell morphology.