Superporous SIKVAV-modified PHEMA scaffold promotes stem cell adhesion

Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) is successfully used as a scaffold material for tissue engineering; however, it lacks functional groups that support cell adhesion. The laminin-derived peptide sequence SIKVAV is known to mimic the function of laminin, which is one of the biologically active proteins of the extracellular matrix. In this report, the adhesion of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) to SIKVAV-modified PHEMA was investigated.