Carrageenan activates monocytes via type-specific binding with interleukin-8: An implication for design of immuno-active biomaterials

Weng I. Chan, Guangpan Zhang, Xin Li, Chung Hang Leung, Dik Lung Ma, Lei Dong*, Chunming Wang

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Polymers that can activate the immune system may become useful biomaterials tools, given that the mechanisms underlying their actions are well understood. Herein, we report a novel type of interaction between polymers and immune cells-in studying the influence of the three major types of carrageenan (CGN) polysaccharides on monocyte behaviour in vitro, we found only the λ-type induced monocyte adhesion and this action requires the presence of an adequate amount of serum. Further analyses indicated λ-CGN bound interleukin-8 (IL-8) in the serum and activated the cultured monocytes through an IL-8-dependent pathway. This is the first demonstration that a polymer, with a renowned immunostimulatory effect, activates the immune system via binding and harnessing the function of a specific cytokine in the microenvironment. This is a new mechanism underlying polymer-immunity interactions that may shed light on future design and application of biomaterials tools targeting the immune system for a wide variety of therapeutic applications.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)403-407
Number of pages5
JournalBiomaterials Science
Volume5
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2017

Scopus Subject Areas

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • General Materials Science

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