Tissue engineering by immobilized growth factors

Growth factor proteins were covalently immobilized on various matrices to regulate cellular high-dimensional functions. It was shown that insulin and epidermal growth factor stimulated cell growth even after immobilization. Pattern-immobilization of growth factor proteins clearly demonstrated the stimulation by immobilized proteins. In other words, this type of stimulation by non-diffusional growth factors enabled us to regulate tissue formation with artificial biomaterials. The stimulation was enhanced by coimmobilization with adhesion factors. These stimulations by the immobilized growth factors may mimick juxtacrine stimulation of membrane-anchored growth factors such as heparin-binding epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor-α, and tumor necrosis factor-α.