# Peptide Photoimmobilization by Thiol–ene Chemistry for Enhanced Neural Cell Adhesion

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new method to coat surfaces with peptides that help neural cells stick and grow, which could aid in studying neurological diseases.

## Contribution

A novel peptide photoimmobilization method using thiol–ene chemistry for stable neural cell culture substrates is introduced.

## Key findings

- Neuroblastoma cells stably adhered to and grew on peptide-functionalized substrates.
- The method allows patternable surfaces without needing antifouling treatments.
- Thiol–ene chemistry enabled long-term cell culture on modified glass substrates.

## Abstract

Neurological diseases
and neural injuries are prevalent but difficult
to treat because of the complexity of the neural environment. To unravel
this complexity, simple cell culture models are required that allow
the study of individual aspects of the neural environment under defined
conditions. In this work, we developed stable coatings of bioactive
peptides via photoimmobilization through a thiol–ene reaction
on glass substrates suitable for long-term culture of neural cells.
The substrates were modified with thiol groups via chemical vapor
deposition to obtain a homogeneous layer, followed by the immobilization
of neural active peptides bearing vinyl groups. Subsequently, human
neuroblastoma cells were shown to stably adhere to and grow on the
modified substrates. The results establish a facile fabrication route
for patternable and peptide-functionalized substrates for the culturing
of neural cells without an additional antifouling treatment.