Control of proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human dental-pulp-derived stem cells by distinct surface structures.

The ability to control the behavior of stem cells provides crucial benefits, for example, in tissue engineering and toxicity/drug screening, which utilize the stem cell's capacity to engineer new tissues for regenerative purposes and the testing of new drugs in vitro. Recently, surface topography has been shown to influence stem cell differentiation; however, general trends are often difficult to establish due to differences in length scales, surface chemistries and detailed surface topographies. Here we apply a highly versatile screening approach to analyze the interplay of surface topographical parameters on cell attachment, morphology, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal dental-pulp-derived stem cells (DPSCs) cultured with and without osteogenic differentiation factors in the medium (ODM).

Focal complex maturation and bridging on 200 nm vitronectin but not fibronectin patches reveal different mechanisms of focal adhesion formation.

The effects of protein type and pattern size on cell adhesion, spreading, and focal adhesion development are studied. Fibronectin and vitronectin patterns from 0.1 to 3 μm produced by colloidal lithography reveal important differences in how cells adhere to and bridge focal adhesions across protein nanopatterns versus micropatterns.

Polydopamine/liposome coatings and their interaction with myoblast cells.

Surface-mediated drug delivery is a recent concept, where active surface coatings are employed to deliver therapeutic cargo to cells. Herein, we explore the potential of liposomes embedded in polydopamine (PDA) coatings to serve as drug deposits stored on planar substrates. We quantify the PDA growth rate on glass by XPS and show that PDA coatings support myoblast adherence and proliferation.

A combinatorial screening of human fibroblast responses on micro-structured surfaces.

Biomaterial surfaces structured with topographical features have been predicted to play an important role in the next generation of biomedical implants. Specific trends with regard to the influence of the topographical effect on cellular behavior are however challenging to establish due to differences in the topographical features and geometries in the various studies. Here, we demonstrate the use of a highly versatile combinatorial screening approach to identify the effect of 169 distinct surface topographies, consisting of pillars, on fibroblast proliferation and mechanical response.

Osteopontin presentation affects cell adhesion-Influence of underlying surface chemistry and nanopatterning of osteopontin.

Osteopontin is a promising coating material for biomaterials, being important both in remodeling and formation of mineralized tissue and in immunological responses. We have investigated cell attachment to osteopontin adsorbed at different surface chemistries (-NH(2), -COOH, -CH(3), and bare gold) and to osteopontin presented as a nanopattern of 50 nm protein patches separated by a nonadhesive background. MDA-MB-435 cells adhere well to osteopontin presented at the hydrophilic chemistries (-NH2, -COOH, and gold) suggesting that osteopontin is presented in a functional form on these surfaces.