Peptide photoimmobilization by thiol-ene chemistry for enhanced neural cell adhesion

Neurological diseases and neural injuries are prevalent but difficult to treat because of the complexity of the neural environment. To unravel this complexity, simple cell culture models are required that allow the study of individual aspects of the neural environment under defined conditions. In this work, we developed stable coatings of bioactive peptides via photoimmobilization through thiol-ene reaction on glass substrates suitable for long-term culture of neural cells. The substrates were modified with thiol groups via chemical vapor deposition to obtain a large and homogeneous layer, followed by immobilization of neural active peptides bearing vinyl groups. Subsequently, human neuroblastoma cells were shown to stably adhere and grow on the modified substrates. The results establish a facile fabrication route for large-scale (cm2), patternable, and peptide-functionalized substrates for the culturing of neural cell adhesion without additional antifouling treatment.