Cytoprotective Coating of HeLa Cells with Titanium Dioxide

Abstract

Cytoprotective coating of mammalian cells with inorganic materials has been intensively studied with aims of functionalization and bioapplication of the cells. It is more difficult to coat mammalian cells with abiotic materials than biogenic ones because of incompatibility of abiotic ones as well as the fragility of mammalian cells. In this work, it was demonstrated that HeLa cells were coated with abiotic inorganic materials, titanium dioxide, by rigorously optimizing layer-by-layer process that ensures cytocompatibility. As a result, the adherent nature of the cells changed to the floating because of mechanical robustness of the coating. In addition, titanium dioxide coat protected the cells from UV-C irradiation, which implied that the photo-screening function of titanium dioxide was implanted to mammalian cells.