Comparing vascular smooth muscle cell population migration on various surface chemistry modifications

Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation and migration has been correlated with intimal hyperplasia (IH) after vascular interventions such as angioplasty, stenting, and vascular graft surgery. Therefore, therapies targeting inhibition of VSMC migration may lead to higher patency rates in vascular grafts and reduced IH in other vascular interventions. This study attempts to understand the relationship with a_vβ₃ and Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) integrin-ligand affinity and cell population migration. Surfaces are modified with Linear GRGDSP, Cyclic GPenGRGDSPCA, and negative control GRADSP. Culture dish polystyrene and YIGSR were also compared. Areas containing VSMC populations expanded over four days. At the end of 96 hours, Linear-RGD, cyclic-RGD, neg-GRAD, YIGSR, and plastic control increased area ratio by 1.22 ± 0.04, 1.19 ± 0.11, 1.10 ± 0.20, 1.18 ± 0.10 and 1.13 ± 0.01, respectively.