Endothelial cell death on biomaterials: Theoretical and practical aspects of investigation

The use of endothelial cell seeding has been proposed as a solution to increase the patency of blood-contacting devices. While there has been a great deal of research into both biological and mechanical mechanisms of failure, relatively little work involving the effects which biomaterials have on the function of cells seeded on such devices has been conducted. We hypothesize, based on previously published results, that endothelial cells attached to synthetic biomaterials exhibit increased intracellular levels of superoxide and other reactive oxygen species. Previous reports have linked elevated levels of reactive oxygen species to NF-κB activation and subsequent cell death via anoikis, a form of apoptosis. Because of this, it is critical that an understanding of how biomaterials affect cellular behavior is developed, and that this knowledge is used in the creation of future devices which rely on cell seeding and cellular ingrowth.