Title: PVP treatment of PS/PtOEPK sensor films for improved adherence of cancer cells

Authors: Louise Orcheston-Findlay; Azadeh Hashemi; Volker Nock; Ashley Garrill

Addresses: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand ' Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand ' Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand ' School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand

Abstract: Cancer cells resist some anti-cancer drugs in a hypoxic environment, which is often present in-vivo due to high proliferation rates and inadequate vasculature in dense tumour cores. Oxygen control and measurement are therefore valuable tools in culturing cancer cells in an in-vivo-like microenvironment. We report on the polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) treatment of polystyrene (PS)/platinum(II) octaethylporphyrin ketone (PtOEPK) fluorescent oxygen sensor films. This treatment improves cell attachment and subsequent long-term cell culture compared to native PS/PtOEPK sensor films by decreasing the water contact angle of the films to 19o, whilst sensor sensitivity to oxygen remains high (I0/I100 = 12).

Keywords: sensor; PVP; cell-substrate adhesion; cancer; oxygen plasma; fluorescence; polystyrene.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNT.2018.098444

International Journal of Nanotechnology, 2018 Vol.15 No.8/9/10, pp.753 - 759

Published online: 22 Mar 2019 *

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