Abstract: In this study, an epitope-imprinting strategy was employed for the dynamic display of bioactive ligands on a material interface. An imprinted surface was initially designed to exhibit specific affinity towards a short peptide (i.e., the epitope). This surface was subsequently used to anchor an epitope-tagged cell-adhesive peptide ligand (RGD: Arg-Gly-Asp). Owing to reversible epitope-binding affinity, ligand presentation and thereby cell adhesion could be controlled. As compared to current strategies for the fabrication of dynamic biointerfaces, for example, through reversible covalent or host-guest interactions, such a molecularly tunable dynamic system based on a surface-imprinting process may unlock new applications in in-situ cell biology, diagnostics, and regenerative medicine
Template and target information: peptide, epitope, RGD, cell-adhesive peptide ligand, Arg-Gly-Asp
Author keywords: Cell adhesion, cell release, dynamic biointerfaces, epitopes, molecular imprinting