Tissue engineering based on electrochemical desorption of an RGD-containing oligopeptide

This paper describes a non‐invasive approach for efficient detachment of cells adhered to a gold substrate via a specific oligopeptide. Detachment is effected by an electrical stimulus. The oligopeptide contains cysteine, which spontaneously forms a gold–thiolate bond on a gold surface. This chemical adsorption reaches > 95% equilibrium within 10 min after immersion of a gold‐coated substrate in a solution containing the peptide. The peptide is reversibly desorbed from the surface within 5 min of application of a negative electrical potential. By taking advantage of this simple adsorption and desorption mechanism, cells can be grown on an oligopeptide‐functionalized gold surface and can be efficiently detached as single cells or cell sheets by application of a negative electrical potential. This approach was also applied to the surface of gold‐coated microrods. Capillary‐like microchannels were formed in collagen gel by transferring endothelial cells to the internal surfaces of the microchannels. During subsequent perfusion culture, the enveloped endothelial cells migrated into the collagen gel and formed luminal structures, which sprouted from the microchannels. This technique has the potential to provide a fundamental tool for the engineering of thick cell sheets as well as vascularized tissues and organs. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.