Nanotopography as modulator of human mesenchymal stem cell function

Effects of surface molecular chirality on adhesion and differentiation of stem cells

Chirality is one of the most fascinating and ubiquitous cues in nature, especially in life. The effects of chiral surfaces on stem cells have, however, not yet been revealed. Herein we examined the molecular chirality effect on stem cell behaviors. Self assembly monolayers of L- or D-cysteine (Cys) were formed on a glass surface coated with gold. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from bone marrow of rats exhibited more adhering preference and thus less cell spreading on the L surface than on the d one at the confluent condition. More protein adsorption was observed on the L surface after immersed in cell culture medium with fetal bovine serum. After osteogenic and adipogenic co-induction at the confluent condition, a larger proportion of cells became osteoblasts on the d surface, while the adipogenic fraction on the L surface was found to be higher than on the D surface. In order to interpret how this chirality effect worked, we fabricated Cys microislands of two sizes on the non-fouling poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel to pre-define the spreading areas of single cells. Then the differentiation extents did not exhibit a significant difference between L and D surfaces under a given area of microislands, yet very significant differences of osteogenesis and adipogenesis were found between different areas. So, the molecular chirality influenced stem cells, probably via favored adsorption of natural proteins on the L surface, which led to more cell adhesion; and the larger cell spreading area with higher cell tension in turn favored osteogenesis rather than adipogenesis. As a result, this study reveals the molecular chirality on material surfaces as an indirect regulator of stem cells.

Life on magnets: stem cell networking on micro-magnet arrays

Interactions between a micro-magnet array and living cells may guide the establishment of cell networks due to the cellular response to a magnetic field. To manipulate mesenchymal stem cells free of magnetic nanoparticles by a high magnetic field gradient, we used high quality micro-patterned NdFeB films around which the stray field's value and direction drastically change across the cell body. Such micro-magnet arrays coated with parylene produce high magnetic field gradients that affect the cells in two main ways: i) causing cell migration and adherence to a covered magnetic surface and ii) elongating the cells in the directions parallel to the edges of the micro-magnet. To explain these effects, three putative mechanisms that incorporate both physical and biological factors influencing the cells are suggested. It is shown that the static high magnetic field gradient generated by the micro-magnet arrays are capable of assisting cell migration to those areas with the strongest magnetic field gradient, thereby allowing the build up of tunable interconnected stem cell networks, which is an elegant route for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Three dimensional spatial separation of cells in response to microtopography

Cellular organization, migration and proliferation in three-dimensions play a critical role in numerous physiological and pathological processes. Nano- and micro-fabrication approaches have demonstrated that nano- and micro-scale topographies of the cellular microenvironment directly impact organization, migration and proliferation. In this study, we investigated these dynamics of two cell types (NIH3T3 fibroblast and MDCK epithelial cells) in response to microscale grooves whose dimensions exceed typical cell sizes. Our results demonstrate that fibroblasts display a clear preference for proliferating along groove ridges whereas epithelial cells preferentially proliferate in the grooves. Importantly, these cell-type dependent behaviours were also maintained when in co-culture. We show that it is possible to spatially separate a mixed suspension of two cell types by allowing them to migrate and proliferate on a substrate with engineered microtopographies. This ability may have important implications for investigating the mechanisms that facilitate cellular topographic sensing. Moreover, our results may provide insights towards the controlled development of complex three-dimensional multi-cellular constructs.

Rigidity-patterned polyelectrolyte films to control myoblast cell adhesion and spatial organization

In vivo, cells are sensitive to the stiffness of their micro-environment and especially to the spatial organization of the stiffness. In vitro studies of this phenomenon can help to better understand the mechanisms of the cell response to spatial variations of the matrix stiffness. In this work, we design polelyelectrolyte multilayer films made of poly(L-lysine) and a photo-reactive hyaluronan derivative. These films can be photo-crosslinked through a photomask to create spatial patterns of rigidity. Quartz substrates incorporating a chromium mask are prepared to expose selectively the film to UV light (in a physiological buffer), without any direct contact between the photomask and the soft film. We show that these micropatterns are chemically homogeneous and flat, without any preferential adsorption of adhesive proteins. Three groups of pattern geometries differing by their shape (circles or lines), size (form 2 to 100 μm) or interspacing distance between the motifs are used to study the adhesion and spatial organization of myoblast cells. On large circular micropatterns, the cells form large assemblies that are confined to the stiffest parts. Conversely, when the size of the rigidity patterns is subcellular, the cells respond by forming protrusions. Finally, on linear micropatterns of rigidity, myoblasts align and their nuclei drastically elongate in specific conditions. These results pave the way for the study of the different steps of myoblast fusion in response to matrix rigidity in well-defined geometrical conditions.

Synthesis of nanostructured porous silica coatings on titanium and their cell adhesive and osteogenic differentiation properties

Nanostructured porous silica coatings were synthesized on titanium by the combined sol-gel and evaporation-induced self-assembly process. The silica-coating structures were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and nitrogen sorptometry. The effect of the nanoporous surface on apatite formation in simulated body fluid, protein adsorption, osteoblast cell adhesion behavior, and osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) is reported. Silica coatings with highly ordered sub-10 nm porosity accelerate early osteoblast adhesive response, a favorable cell response that is attributed to an indirect effect due to the high protein adsorption observed on the large-specific surface area of the nanoporous coating but is also probably due to direct mechanical stimulus from the nanostructured topography. The nanoporous silica coatings, particularly those doped with calcium and phosphate, also promote the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs with spontaneous mineral nodule formation in basal conditions. The bioactive surface properties exhibited by the nanostructured porous silica coatings make these materials a promising alternative to improve the osseointegration properties of titanium dental implants and could have future impact on the nanoscale design of implant surfaces.

Nanostructured surfaces of dental implants

The structural and functional fusion of the surface of the dental implant with the surrounding bone (osseointegration) is crucial for the short and long term outcome of the device. In recent years, the enhancement of bone formation at the bone-implant interface has been achieved through the modulation of osteoblasts adhesion and spreading, induced by structural modifications of the implant surface, particularly at the nanoscale level. In this context, traditional chemical and physical processes find new applications to achieve the best dental implant technology. This review provides an overview of the most common manufacture techniques and the related cells-surface interactions and modulation. A Medline and a hand search were conducted to identify studies concerning nanostructuration of implant surface and their related biological interaction. In this paper, we stressed the importance of the modifications on dental implant surfaces at the nanometric level. Nowadays, there is still little evidence of the long-term benefits of nanofeatures, as the promising results achieved in vitro and in animals have still to be confirmed in humans. However, the increasing interest in nanotechnology is undoubted and more research is going to be published in the coming years.

Biophysical regulation of stem cell behavior within the niche

Stem cells reside within most tissues throughout the lifetimes of mammalian organisms. To maintain their capacities for division and differentiation and thereby build, maintain, and regenerate organ structure and function, these cells require extensive and precise regulation, and a critical facet of this control is the local environment or niche surrounding the cell. It is well known that soluble biochemical signals play important roles within such niches, and a number of biophysical aspects of the microenvironment, including mechanical cues and spatiotemporally varying biochemical signals, have also been increasingly recognized to contribute to the repertoire of stimuli that regulate various stem cells in various tissues of both vertebrates and invertebrates. For example, biochemical factors immobilized to the extracellular matrix or the surface of neighboring cells can be spatially organized in their placement. Furthermore, the extracellular matrix provides mechanical support and regulatory information, such as its elastic modulus and interfacial topography, which modulate key aspects of stem cell behavior. Numerous examples of each of these modes of regulation indicate that biophysical aspects of the niche must be appreciated and studied in conjunction with its biochemical properties.

Effects of aspect ratios of stem cells on lineage commitments with and without induction media

The present study is aimed to examine the shape effect on lineage commitment of stem cells in growth medium free of external chemical induction factors. Aspect ratios (ARs) of cells were controlled by micropatterns with cell-adhesive microislands of AR 1, 2 and 8 on the potent nonfouling background of poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels, and the single stem cells were well shaped for 19 days. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from rat bone marrow were cultured in osteogenic medium, adipogenic medium, mixed coinduction medium, and also growth medium; alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and oil droplets were employed as indicators of osteoblasts and adipocytes, respectively. Those indicators were well observed in all of three induction media as early as day 7, and also in growth medium at a longer culture time till day 13. While a significant monotonic decrease of adipogenesis was observed with the increase of AR, a non-monotonic change of osteogenesis was found with optimal AR about 2. The relative gene expressions further verified the above findings. As a result, cell shape itself is an inherent cue to regulate stem cell differentiation, let alone with or without external chemical induction factors. Such a shape effect disappeared upon addition of a microfilament inhibitor cytochalasin D or a Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor Y-27632. So, formation of cytoskeleton is necessary for the shape effect, and the ROCK-pathway-related cell tension is responsible for the shape effect on the lineage commitment of stem cells even in growth medium.

Multifaceted applications of nanomaterials in cell engineering and therapy

Nanomaterials with superior physiochemical properties have been rapidly developed and integrated in every aspect of cell engineering and therapy for translating their great promise to clinical success. Here we demonstrate the multifaceted roles played by innovatively-designed nanomaterials in addressing key challenges in cell engineering and therapy such as cell isolation from heterogeneous cell population, cell instruction in vitro to enable desired functionalities, and targeted cell delivery to therapeutic sites for prompting tissue repair. The emerging trends in this interdisciplinary and dynamic field are also highlighted, where the nanomaterial-engineered cells constitute the basis for establishing in vitro disease model; and nanomaterial-based in situ cell engineering are accomplished directly within the native tissue in vivo. We will witness the increasing importance of nanomaterials in revolutionizing the concept and toolset of cell engineering and therapy which will enrich our scientific understanding of diseases and ultimately fulfill the therapeutic demand in clinical medicine.

Controlling matrix stiffness and topography for the study of tumor cell migration

Cellular studies have long been performed on the bench top, within Petri dishes and flasks that expose cells to surroundings that differ greatly from their native environment. The complexity of a human tissue is such that to truly replicate a cell's physiologic microenvironment in vitro is currently impossible. It is nevertheless important to determine how various factors of the microenvironment interact to drive cell behavior, particularly with regard to disease states, such as cancer. Here we focus on two key elements of the cellular microenvironment, matrix stiffness and architecture, in the context of tumor cell behavior. We discuss recent work focusing on the effects of these individual properties on cancer cell migration and describe one technique developed by our lab that could be applied to dissect the effects of specific structural and mechanical cues, and which may lead to useful insights into the potentially synergistic effects of these properties on tumor cell behavior.