Understanding the Nanotopography Changes and Cellular Influences Resulting from the Surface Adsorption of Human Hair Keratins

May 2012 in “ Advanced Healthcare Materials ”

Francesca Taraballi, Shuai Wang, Jian Li, Fiona Yann Yann Lee, Subbu S. Venkatraman, William R. Birch, Swee Hin Teoh, Freddy Yin Chiang Boey, Kee Woei Ng

human hair keratins keratin density nano-topography hydrophobicity fibronectin collagen type 1

Studysummary This study found that human hair keratin coatings enhanced adhesion and proliferation of L929 mouse fibroblasts compared to uncoated and collagen type 1 surfaces, suggesting keratin's potential as a surface coating for cell cultures. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

The study investigated the use of human hair keratins as a bioactive coating for in vitro cell culture, focusing on their adsorption onto tissue culture polystyrene surfaces. The research characterized keratin density, nano-topography, and hydrophobicity, finding that keratins could be deposited up to a density of 650 ng/cm² with a coating concentration of 80 μg/ml or higher. Murine L929 fibroblasts cultured on these keratin-coated surfaces showed improved adhesion, proliferation, and fibronectin expression compared to uncoated and collagen type 1 coated surfaces. These findings suggested that human hair keratins could serve as an effective surface coating material to enhance cell culture substrate compliance.

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