Poly(N-isopropyl-acrylamide) (PNIPAM) is a thermoresponsive polymer with a wide range of biological applications, including drug delivery, biosensing, and tissue engineering. The tunability of the structural and mechanical properties of PNIPAM makes it particularly at- tractive in emulating cell environments and dynamic cytoskeletal deformations. This thesis discusses PNIPAM's properties and applications in different forms i.e., solution, brushes, hydrogels, and surface patterned hydrogels, with specific focus on lithographically patterned substrates coated with PNIPAM films. The scaffolds are investigated for structural and me- chanical responses to thermally driven changes in the PNIPAM hydration states using atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM measurements on our lithographically patterned substrates show that the substrate pattern and coating method enable the fabrication of scaffolds with different topographic and mechanical properties across a wide thermal range. Importantly, these scaffolds exhibit variations in both lateral topography and Young's modulus, rendering them well suited for investigations of differential mechanical stresses experienced by cells and cell membranes. / Master of Science / Poly(N-isopropyl-acrylamide) (PNIPAM) is a polymer which can change its water absorption depending on the temperature of its aqueous environment. It transitions from a swollen state at room temperature to a collapsed state at around 32 °C. These thermally tunable properties make PNIPAM an attractive candidate in a variery of applications, including biomedical and biophysical applications. In this thesis, PNIPAM is coated on lithographically patterned substrates to emulate the cellular cytoskeleton. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements are performed to measure the topography and mechanical properties of the fabricated scaffolds. The results show that the coating method and the features of the used substrate allow the fabrication of different surface topographies with biologically relevant mechanics.

Yes / Highly branched poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (HB-PNIPAM), functionalized with vancomycin at the chain ends, acted as a bacterial adhesive and was incorporated into polyurethane foams to form semi-interpenetrating networks. The poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) was labelled with a solvatochromic dye, Nile red. It was found that the thermal response of the polymer was dependent on architecture and temperature dependent color changes were observed within the foam. The foams had open pore structures and the presence of the HB-PNIPAM substantially reduced the shrinkage of the foam as the temperature was increased upto 20 °C. The foams were selectively adhesive for Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive bacteria) compared to Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Gram-negative bacteria) and the presence of S. aureus was indicated by increased fluorescence intensity (590 to 800 nm).

Des revêtements polymères basés sur la physisorption de copolymères en peigne, dérivés du (Poly-L-Lysine)-g-poly(N Isopropylacrylamide) noté PLL-g-PNIPAM, ont été développés afin de contrôler réversiblement l'adhésion cellulaire. La préparation de ces revêtements repose sur l'adsorption spontanée de la poly(lysine) sur la plupart des substrats anioniques usuels en biologie, aisément mis en oeuvre par le non-spécialiste : une simple immersion du substrat dans une solution de PLL-g-PNIPAM donne une monocouche résistante au rinçage et dense en chaines poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide) thermosensibles.L'adsorption de copolymères en peigne dérivés de la PLL et portant des chaînes latérales de natures variées permet d'ajuster à souhait les propriétés du revêtement. Notre attention s'est portée particulièrement sur l'étude de couchesthermosensibles poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide-coligand), où le ligand est soit un groupe biotine, soit un peptide d'adhésion.Une voie de synthèse générique de dérivés PLL-g- PNIPAM est décrite. Elle se fonde sur la polymérisation RAFT du N-acryloxysuccinimide et la post-modification des unités de répétition puis des extrémités de chaînes. Des mesures de la température de transition soluble/insoluble en solution et des caractérisations par AFM et QCM-d de l'extension des chaînes en surface ont permis de démontrer que la transition au sein des revêtements s'opère à une température proche de celle en solution. La stabilité en termes de composition et d'épaisseur des revêtements suite à des cycles de transitions thermiques a été vérifiée. Une étude de l'adsorption de particules décorées par des protéines comme l'avidine a permis de montrer la capacité des couches adsorbée à exposer/masquer la biotine, et à réguler la formation de liaisons spécifiques par simple changement de température. Pour s'assurer de la possibilité d'ajustement du contraste d'accessibilité de ligands, cette étude a été complétée par des mesures sur des couches mixtes contenant des mélanges de chaînes fonctionnelles ou non fonctionnalisées. Enfin, en utilisant un peptide d'adhésion (RGD) comme ligand, il a été montré que l'interaction avec la surface de cellules HeLA peut être réversiblement contrôlée via une variation de température de quelques degrés, moyennant d'optimiser la densité en peptides et la présence de chaînes répulsives en surface.Un control local par stimulation lumineuse a été envisagé. Des poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide) contenant des azobenzenes furent synthétisés mais ne montrent qu'une faible réponse lumineuse. / Polymer coatings based on the physorption of comb-like polymers, (Poly-L-Lysine)-g-poly(NIsopropylacrylamide)derivatives (PLL-g-PNIPAM), have been developed to reversibly modulate specific cell adhesion on demand.This technique of coating relies on the spontaneous adsorption of PLL on typical anionic substrates used in biology: a simple bath application of substrates in solution of PLLg-PNIPAM affords a stable polymer adlayer with dense and thermoresponsive poly(NIsopropylacrylamide) brushes. Adsorption of comb-like polymers with different strands enables to easily modulate properties of the coatings. We focused on thermoresponsive poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide-co-ligand) brusheswhere ligand is Biotin or a peptide of adhesion.A versatile synthesis of PLL-g-PNIPAM is presented. This synthesis is based on RAFT polymerization of N-acryloxysuccinimide and post-modifications of both the backbone and the polymer ends. Detection of the transition soluble/insoluble in solution and AFM/QCM-d studies of PNIPAM adlayers demonstrate that the critical temperature in adlayers are close to the one in solution. Stability in terms of composition and thickness has been checked after temperature cycles. The study of the adsorption of Avidin-coated particles suggests that these adlayers can expose/mask Biotin, and so regulate specific interaction by simple change in temperature. To optimize the thermal contrast of ligand accessibility, this study includes measurements on mixed adlayers with functionalized/unfunctionalized brushes. Finally, specific adhesion of HeLa cells can be thermally modulated on adlayers presenting repellent brushes and with controlled densities of adhesive peptides (RGD).A local control has been considered on such coatings by using light stimulus. In this context, azobenzene-containing Poly(NIsopropylacrylamide) were synthesized but they shown only a weak light-response.

In dieser Arbeit wird die Entwicklung und Charakterisierung neuer „smarter“ Redoxhydrogele mit drei verschiedenen funktionellen Eigenschaften und deren erfolgreicher Einsatz zur elektrochemischen Kontaktierung von Oxidoreduktasen beschrieben. Diese neuen Redoxpolymere 1. tragen kovalent integrierte Redoxzentren umgeben von einer hydrophilen Polymermatrix, 2. reaktive Kopplungsgruppen für den Aufbau selbstassemblierter Polymerschichten auf Elektrodenoberflächen und 3. lassen sich in ihrer Redoxaktivität durch Verwendung „intelligenter“ Polymere über externe Stimuli kontrollieren. Die Redoxhydrogele wurden nach dem Vorbild eines Baukastensystems in einfachen Ein-Stufen-Synthesen synthetisiert. Dazu wurden verschiedene Redoxzentren (Ferrocen, 1,10-Phenanthrolin-5,6-dion und 4-Carboxy-2,5,7-Trinitro-9-fluorenon), reaktive Kopplungsgruppen (Epoxy-, Amino-, Thiol- oder Disulfidfunktionen) und Polymermatrices (Poly-(N-Isopropylacrylamid) (PNIPAM) und Poly(ethylenglykolmethacrylat) (PEGMA)) in unterschiedlichen Zusammensetzungen miteinander copolymerisiert. Die Polymere wurden in Form von dünnen Polymerfilmen über die wiederholenden Funktionalitäten auf Elektrodenoberflächen aufgebracht und physiko- und elektrochemisch charakterisiert. Durch die erstmals gezeigte, derartige Ankopplung der Polymere, entstehen dreidimensionale, hydrophile selbstassemblierte Polymerschichten. Die Elektronentransferwege sind kurz und der Elektronentransfer effizient. Diese Polymer-modifizierten Elektroden wurden für die Kontaktierung von zwei exemplarisch ausgewählten Oxidoreduktasen eingesetzt, die Nicotinsäureamid-adenin-dinucleotid-abhängige Glucosedehydrogenase (NAD-GDH), welche ein freibewegliches Coenzym und die Pyrrolochinolinchinon-abhängige Glucosedehydrogenase (PQQ-GDH), welche ein prosthetisches Coenzym verwenden. Die Redoxaktivitäten des PNIPAMFoxy- und PEGMA-Fc-Polymers ließen sich durch externe Stimuli in Form von Temperatur und Calciumkonzentrationen kontrollieren. Ein Modell für die Komplexierung der Calciumionen durch die PEG-Seitenketten unter Ausbildung Kronenether-ähnlicher Strukturen und der daraus resultierenden Steigerung des Elektronentransfers wurde gezeigt. / This work describes the development and characterization of new, smart redox polymeres with three functionalities and their use in electrochemical wiring of oxidoreductases. These polymers 1. bear redox-active sites surrounded by hydrophilic polymeric matrix 2. surface-reactive groups to create self-assembled monolayers on electrodes 3. ionic-tunable redox activities by using stimuli-responsive polymers The syntheses of the redoxpolymers were resolved in simple one-step approaches using a building block system. Different mediators (ferrocene, 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione and 4-carboxy-2,5,7-trinitro-9-fluorenone), reactive anchoring groups (groups epoxide, amine, thiol and disulfide) and polymer matrices (poly-(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), poly(ethylene glycol methacrylate) (PEGMA)) were copolymerized in different compositions. The polymers were anchored to electrode surfaces via the repetitive functionalities and physico- and electrochemical characterized. This kind of anchoring of the redoxpolymers was shown for the first time and three-dimensional hydropilic self-assembled polymer monolayers are created. The electron transfer pathways are short and the electron tranfer efficient. The polymer-modified electrodes were applied for wiring two oxidoreductases, nicotinamide-adenine-dinucleotide-dependent glucose dehydrogenase (NAD-GDH) with a diffusing coenzyme and the pyrroloquinoline quinone-dependent glucose dehydrogenase (PQQ-GDH) with a prosthetic coenzyme. The redox activities of PNIPAMFoxy and PEGMA-Fc-SS are tuneable with external stimuli like temperature and calcium concentrations. A model for the complexation of calcium by PEG side chains and the explanation of the resulting effects was shown.

About half a century ago, Főrster and Kasper discovered that traditional organic chromophore such as pyrene was weakened with an increase in its solution concentration. It was soon recognized that this was a general phenomenon for many aromatic compounds. This concentration-quenching effect was found to be caused by the formation of sandwich-shaped (disc-like) excimers and exciplexes aided by the collisional interactions between the aromatic molecules in the excited and ground states. In 2001, Tang¡¦group discovered such a system, in which luminogen aggregation played a constructive, instead of a destructive, role in the light-emitting process: a series of silole molecules were found to be non-luminescent in the solution state but emissive in the aggregated state. They coined the term ¡¥¡¥aggregation-induced emission¡¦¡¦ (AIE) or ¡§AIE enhancement¡¨ (AIEE) for this novel phenomenon which originated from the restricted intramolecular rotation (RIR) inherent from the chemical structures of the luminescent materials. To verify the effect of molecular structure on the AIE properties of organic and polymeric materials, four approaches were attempted in this research. (I) Aggregation-Induced Emission in Tetraphenylthiophene-Derived Organic Molecules and Vinyl Polymer Organic molecules of tetraphenylthiophene (TP) and the derived model compound of TP-Qu and vinyl polymer of PS-Qu with the pendant group of TP-Qu were prepared and characterized to identify their photoluminescent responses toward the effect of AIE. During aggregate formation, the corresponding TP solutions greatly gained the emission intensity. In contrast, TP-Qu and PS-Qu in isolated or aggregated states emitted strongly with nearly the same emission intensity. RIR is the key factor deciding the AIE effect in different states. With four small phenyl rotors around the central thiophene stator, the RIR of the TP molecules in dilute solution is low but increases upon aggregate formations. In contrast, the bulky C-2 quinoline rotor of the TP-Qu molecule enhances the RIR in isolated state. With the inherent TP-Qu pendant groups, the emissive behavior of vinyl polymer PS-Qu is similar to the TP-Qu molecule. (II) Aggregation-Induced Emission Enhancement of Diblock Copolymer Containing Tetraphenylthiophene-Quinoline Pendant Fluorphores by Selective Solvent Pairs In this study, diblock copolymer of PSQu-PBS containing 25 mol% of fluorescent PSQu segments was synthesized and its aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) behavior was characterized and compared to PSQu homopolymer with 100 mol% of fluorescent units. With fewer (25 %) fluorescent units, solutions of diblock PSQu-PBS copolymer actually have higher (or comparable) emission intensities than the homopolymer PSQu solutions. Solutions of PSQu-PBS in THF/H2O of varied compositions emit essentially with the same intensity but in contrast, emissions of PSQu-PBS in THF/hexane increase with the increasing hexane content. Copolymer micelles formed in THF/hexane mixtures are supposed to have higher extent of aggregation, leading to more pronounced AIEE effect than micelles formed in THF/H2O. (III) Tetraphenylthiophene-Functionalized Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide): Probing LCST with Aggregation-Induced Emission A hydrophobic TP center with novel AIE property was chemically linked to two poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) chains to obtain thermoresponsive polymers to study the relationships between the lower critical solution transitions (LCSTs) and the AIE-operative fluorenscence emission. Three ethynyl-terminated PNIPAMs with different molecular weights were synthesized via controlled atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) using ethynyl-functionalized initiator. The PNIPAMs were then coupled with diazide-funtionalized TP (TPN3) via click reaction to obtain the desired TP-embedded polymers of Px (x = 1, 2, and 3). All three polymers show AIE-property from their solution fluorescence behavior in THF/hexane mixtures. In the aqueous solution, the TP-center served as a fluorogenic probe that reveals the LCSTs of polymers and its relation to the degree of TP labeling in terms of polymer concentration. The thermoresponsiveness of Px was demonstrated by the complete emission quench when heated at temperatures above LCST. Dissociation of the TP aggregates above LCST is responsible for the emission quench. (IV) Influence of Molecular Weight on the Aggregation-Induced Emission of Vinyl Polymers Containing the Fluorescent 2,4,6-Triphenylpyridine Pendant Groups Molecular weight effect on the AIEE property of vinyl polymers containing fluorescent 2,4,6-triphenylpyridine (TPP) pendant groups was evaluated in the fourth topic. The high and low Mw vinyl polymers of PDMPS¡VL and ¡VH were prepared through Click chemistry between azide¡VTPP derivative and acetylene¡Vfunctionalized polystyrenes. Solutions of the low Mw PDMPS¡VL exhibited the normal AIEE effect with continuous emission gains with increasing extent of aggregation upon nonsolvent inclusion. On the contrast, the high Mw PDMPS¡VH solutions emitted with constant intensity on all solutions with different extent of aggregation. Despite the varied solution behavior, the solid PDMPS-L and ¡VH films are all strong deep-blue emitter with high quantum yields of 84 and 82.5%, respectively. The emission behavior was explained by the conformational difference between the PDMPS¡VL and ¡VH chains, which were approached by computer simulation in this topic.

Scaffold based tissue reconstruction inherently limits regenerative capacity due to inflammatory response and limited cell migration. In contrast, scaffold-free methods promise formation of functional tissues with both reduced adverse host reactions and enhanced integration. Cell-sheet engineering is a well-known bottom-up tissue engineering approach that allows the release of intact cell sheet from a temperature responsive polymer such as poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (pNIPAAm). pNIPAAm is an ideal template for culturing cell sheets because it undergoes a sharp volume-phase transition owing to the hydrophilic and hydrophobic interaction around its lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of 32°C, a temperature close to physiological temperature. Compared to enzymatic digestion via trypsinization, pNIPAAm provides a non-destructive approach for tissue harvest which retains its basal surface extracellular matrix and preserves cell-to-cell junctions thereby creating an intact monolayer of cell sheet suitable for tissue transplantation. The overall thrust of this dissertation is to gain a comprehensive understanding of how tissue precursors are formed, harvested and printed from interactions with shape-changing pNIPAAm hydrogel. A simple geometrical microbeam pattern of pNIPAAm structures covalently bound on glass substrates for culturing mouse embryonic fibroblast and skeletal myoblast cell lines is presented. In order to characterize the cell-surface interactions, three main investigations were conducted: 1) the mechanism of cell detachment; 2) the feasibility of micro-contact printing tissue precursors onto target surfaces; and 3) the assembly of these tissues into three-dimensional (3D) constructs. Detachment of cells from the shape-changing hydrogel was found to correlate with the lateral swelling of the microbeams, which is induced by thermal activation, hydration and shape distortion of the patterns. The mechanism of cell detachment was primarily driven by strain, which occurred almost instantaneously above a critical strain of 25%. This shape-changing pNIPAAm construct allows water penetration from the periphery and beneath the attached cells, providing rapid hydration and detachment within seconds. Cell cultured microbeams were used as stamps for micro-contact printing of tissue precursors and their viability, metabolic activity, local and global organization were evaluated after printing. The formation and printing of intact tissues from the shape-changing hydrogel suggests that the geometric patterning of pNIPAAm directs spatial organization through physical guidance cues while preserving cell functioning. Tissue precursors were sequentially assembled into parallel and perpendicular configurations to demonstrate the feasibility of constructing dense tissues with different organizations such as interconnected cell lines that could induce vascularization to solve perfusion issues in regenerative therapies. The novel approach presented in this dissertation establishes an efficient method for harvesting and printing of tissue precursors that may be applicable for the modular, bottom up construction of complex tissues for organ models and regenerative therapies.

The primary aim of the research in this study is to develop a robust and simple platform for the in vitro organization of cells on surfaces which facilitate rapid cell release and allows for the direct stamping of highly organized micro-tissues. Current approaches towards this goal have been very successful but are lengthy and subject cells to harsh conditions for extended periods of time raising questions regarding cell health and maintenance of physiological state. To address these concerns a platform was developed to allow for rapid cell release by utilizing a release mechanism different from previous work. Micron-scale structures comprised of the thermally responsive polymer poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAAm) were fabricated into various geometries to serve as a platform for cell culture. Structures were covalently confined to rigid surfaces causing non-uniform distortion of the structure's geometry upon swelling. This resulted in four primary modes of geometric distortion, or swelling-induced instability: differential lateral swelling, localized edge buckling, bulk structural buckling, and surface wrinkling. It was found that slight modifications to a linear elastic model was sufficient to predict these behaviors and provided guidance on design of the cell culture platform. Observations also suggest that a rapidly swelling structure engenders multiple forms of instability which arise as sequential and discrete steps during the swelling process. At each step the length scale of the instability increases in a step-wise fashion until the final equilibrium structure is reached. Culture of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts atop pNIPAAm structures of various geometries resulted in the growth of highly aligned micro-tissue building blocks with three distinct geometries: planar aligned micro-tissue sheets, "ribbon-like" micro-tissues, and "fiber-like" micro-tissues. Release of the micro-tissues was facilitated by the thermally-induced shape-shifting nature of micron-scale pNIPAAm structures. Release occurred rapidly (∼3 min) and required a more mild temperature shift (delta T = 9°C) than other approaches. It was found that the mechanism for cell detachment was mechanical in nature and did not require cellular activity unlike other approaches. Cell detachment was directly correlated to surface strain as a result of thermally-induced shape-shifting and has a level of dependence on cellular contractility. The platform was tested to show its capacity to directly translocate organized micro-tissues to a virgin surface. Cell transfer by direct stamping was achieved with micro-tissues retaining their shape, although stamped micro-tissues lost their organization after several hours of culture. Although the stamping process requires additional optimization, these results provide evidence that this platform has the capacity to culture and directly translocate highly organized micro-tissues. Additionally, this process provides a new, minimally invasive, approach to cell culture such that rapid construction of highly organized multi-layered tissues can be realized.

abstract: Following diagnosis of a glioblastoma (GBM) brain tumor, surgical resection, chemotherapy and radiation together yield a median patient survival of only 15 months. Importantly, standard treatments fail to address the dynamic regulation of the brain tumor microenvironment that actively supports tumor progression and treatment resistance. Moreover, specialized niches within the tumor microenvironment maintain a population of highly malignant glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSCs). GSCs are resistant to traditional chemotherapy and radiation therapy and are likely responsible for near universal rates of tumor recurrence and associated morbidity. Thus, disrupting microenvironmental support for GSCs could be critical to more effective GBM therapies. Three-dimensional (3D) culture models of the tumor microenvironment are powerful tools for identifying key biochemical and biophysical inputs that may support or inhibit malignant behaviors. Here, we developed synthetic poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-Jeffamine M-1000® acrylamide) or PNJ copolymers as a model 3D system for culturing GBM cell lines and low-passage patient-derived GSCs in vitro. These temperature responsive scaffolds reversibly transition from soluble to insoluble in aqueous solution by heating from room temperature to body temperature, thereby enabling easy encapsulation and release of cells in a 3D scaffold. We also designed this system with the capacity for presenting the cell-adhesion peptide sequence RGD for adherent culture conditions. Using this system, we identified conditions that promoted GBM proliferation, invasion, GSC phenotypes, and radiation resistance. In particular, using two separate patient-derived GSC models, we observed that PNJ scaffolds regulated self-renewal, provided protection from radiation induced cell death, and may promote stem cell plasticity in response to radiation. Furthermore, PNJ scaffolds produced de novo activation of the transcription factor HIF2α, which is critical to GSC tumorigenicity and stem plasticity. All together, these studies establish the robust utility of PNJ biomaterials as in vitro models for studying microenvironmental regulation of GSC behaviors and treatment resistance. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Biomedical Engineering 2017

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