Hyaluronan is a polysaccharide that is increasingly investigated for its role in cellular adhesion and for the preparation of biomimetic matrices for tissue engineering. Hyaluronan gels are prepared for application as space fillers whereas hyaluronan films are usually obtained by adsorbing or grafting a single hyaluronan layer onto a biomaterial surface. Here, we examine the possibility to employ the layer-by-layer technique to deposit thin films of cationic modified hyaluronan (HA+) and hyaluronan (HA) of controlled thicknesses. The buildup conditions are investigated and growth is compared to that of other polyelectrolyte multilayer films containing either HA as polyanion or HA+ as polycation. The films could be formed in a low ionic strength medium but required to be cross-linked prior to be put in contact with physiological medium. NIH3T3 fibroblasts were perfectly viable on self-assembled hyaluronan films with however a preference for hyaluronan ending films. These findings point out the possibility to tune the thickness of thin hyaluronan films at the nanometer scale. Such architectures could be employed for investigating cell/substrate interactions or for functionalizing biomaterial surfaces.
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