Functional plasma polymer films for the purification of pancreatic β cells

Pure pancreatic β cells play a major role in multiple areas of diabetic research, nevertheless, the separation of β cells remains a challenge. The objective of this study is to show the feasibility of using plasma polymers to remove fibroblasts from β cells. Oxygen‐ and nitrogen‐rich organic coatings with different O and N concentrations were prepared by plasma copolymerization of binary gas mixtures combining a hydrocarbon and a heteroatom‐containing gas. The separation of cell pancreatic and fibroblast cell lines was tested using various plasma polymers. The results showed that a unique oxygen‐rich coating with ∼13% of oxygen, promoted fibroblast separation with 82% selectivity. The results support the concept that plasma polymers could be a suitable substrate for the selective adhesion and removal of fibroblasts. Many discoveries in the biotechnological field are associated with cell sorting technologies. These technologies can be employed when isolation (or purification) of a specific cell type is needed. The separation of two different cell types by plasma polymers opens up new opportunities to design novel adhesion‐based cell sorting devices.