Nano-structured polymers enhance bladder smooth muscle cell function

It is the hypothesis of the present study that a biocompatible material which mimics the nanometer topography of native bladder tissue will enhance cellular responses and lead to better tissue integration in vivo. Previous in vitro studies have verified the ability to successfully reduce the surface feature dimensions of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and poly(ether urethane) (PU) films into the nanometer regime via chemical etching procedures. Results from these studies also provided the first evidence that bladder smooth muscle cell adhesion was enhanced on chemically treated nano-structured polymeric surfaces compared to their conventional counterparts. Although cell adhesion is necessary for a biomaterial's success, subsequent cell functions (such as long-term cell growth and proliferation) are also critical for tissue ingrowth and long-term implant survival. The present in vitro study, therefore, investigated the function of bladder smooth muscle cells on these novel, nano-structured polymers over the expanded periods of 1, 3 and 5 days. Results indicated that cell number was influenced by both surface roughness and surface chemistry changes; the important contributor, however, was increased nanometer surface roughness. This claim is supported by the fact that cell number was enhanced on nano-structured compared to conventional PLGA and PU once chemistry changes were eliminated using casting techniques.