Oriented Schwann cell growth on micropatterned biodegradable polymer substrates

This paper investigates the influence of substrate-mediated chemical and physical guidance on the growth and alignment of Schwann cells in vitro. Novel techniques were developed to fabricate microgrooves with adsorbed proteins on biodegradable polymer substrates made of poly(D,L-lactic acid). Compression molding and solvent-casting were used to transfer micropatterns from quartz and silicon substrates onto biodegradable polymer films. Laminin was selectively adsorbed onto the grooves and rat sciatic Schwann cells were seeded on the substrates. Laminin was found to improve adhesion of Schwann cells on the substrates. The microgrooves were found to cause the Schwann cells to align along the direction of the grooves. The groove width influenced Schwann cell alignment the most, while groove depth did not seem to play a significant role. The degradation of the grooves in the solvent cast films was much slower than those in the compression-molded films, making them the preferred substrates for Schwann cell culture.