| abstract |
A combination of a cell adhesion factor and a positively-charged molecule are bound to the surface of a cell culture support of a bioreactor to improve cell attachment and stabilize cell growth. The positively charged molecule is preferably polylysine, chitosan, poly(ethyleneimine) or acrylics polymerized from acrylamide or methacrylamide and incorporating positively-charged groups in the form of primary, secondary or tertiary amines, or quaternary salts. The cell adhesion factor is preferably fibronectin, laminin, collagen, vitronectin or tenascin, or fragments or analogs having a cell binding domain thereof. The positively-charged molecule and the cell adhesion factor can be covalently bound to the supporting surface. In another embodiment, the positively-charged molecule and the cell adhesion factor are covalently bound to one another and either the positively-charged molecule or the cell adhesion factor is covalently bound to the supporting surface. Also, the positively-charged molecule or the cell adhesion factor or both cam be provided in the form of a stable coating non-covalently bound around the surface of the support. The cell culture support may be in the form of a microcarrier and can be made of polystyrene or polypropylene |