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

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.