Nanofibrous Lipid Membranes Capable of Functionally Immobilizing Antibodies and Capturing Specific Cells

Lipid bilayers that define the boundaries of cells and regulate intra/extracellular trafficking of ions and proteins have been a source of inspiration for the development of biomimetic materials. [1] For instance, liposomes have been extensively explored as carriers for drug delivery. [2] Furthermore, lipid membranes have been used as templates for the assembly of receptor signaling complexes [3] and the in vitro immunological study of cellular receptors. [4] Recently, electrospinning has been employed to engineer three-dimensional, high-surface-area lipid membranes composed of micrometer-diameter lecithin fibers. [5] Such lipid membranes may find important applications in biosensing and tissue engineering, but their poor durability adversely affect these potential applications. [6] Efforts to improve the material stability of phospholipid membranes, by polymerizing the lipids or incorporating additives, have been met with limited success. [6,7]