Recently, cell separation methods have become important for preparing cells for transplantation therapy. In this study, a thermoresponsive cationic block copolymer brush is developed as an effective cell separation tool. This brush is prepared on glass surfaces using two steps of activator regenerated by electron transfer–atom transfer radical polymerization (ARGET‐ATRP). The cationic segment is prepared in the first step of the ARGET‐ATRP of N,N‐dimethylaminopropylacrylamide (DMAPAAm). In the second step, the thermoresponsive segment is prepared, attached to the bottom cationic segment, through ARGET‐ATRP with N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm). The cell adhesion behavior of the prepared thermoresponsive cationic copolymer, PDMAPAAm‐b‐PNIPAAm, brush is observed using umbilical cord‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSC), fibroblasts, and macrophages. At 37 °C, all three types of cells adhere to the thermoresponsive cationic copolymer brush. Then, by reducing the temperature to 20 °C, the adhered UCMSC are detached from the copolymer brush, whereas the fibroblasts and macrophages remain adhered to the copolymer brush. Using this copolymer brush, UCMSC can be purified from the cell mixture simply by changing the temperature. Therefore, the prepared thermoresponsive cationic copolymer brush is useful as a cell separation tool for the purification of mesenchymal stem cells.

Cell therapy using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is used as effective regenerative therapy. Cell therapy requires effective cell separation without cell modification and cell activity sustainment. In this study, we...

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Thermoresponsive block copolymer brush with cell affinity peptides was prepared via two steps of ATRP and subsequent click reaction. The prepared polymer brush can purify cells with high selectivity by simply changing temperature.

Antibody drugs play an important role in biopharmaceuticals, because of the specificity for target biomolecules and reduction of side effects. Thus, separation and analysis techniques for these antibody drugs have increased in importance. In the present study, we develop functional chromatography matrices for antibody drug separation and analysis. Three types of polymers, poly( N -isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm)- co -2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS)- co-N -phenyl acrylamide (PhAAm)), P(NIPAAm- co -AMPS- co-n -butyl methacrylate (BMA)), and P(NIPAAm- co -AMPS- co - tert -butylacrylamide (tBAAm)), were modified on silica beads through atom transfer radical polymerisation. Rituximab elution profiles were observed using the prepared beads-packed column. Rituximab adsorption at high temperature and elution at low temperature from the column were observed, as a result of the temperature-modulated electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. Using the column, rituximab purification from contaminants was performed simply by changing the temperature. Additionally, three types of antibody drugs were separated using the column through temperature-modulated hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. These results demonstrate that the temperature-responsive column can be applied for the separation and analysis of biopharmaceuticals through a simple control of the column temperature.