Multiphoton excited fabricated nano and micro patterned extracellular matrix proteins direct cellular morphology.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Cell Biology
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins like fibronectin (FN) and fibrinogen (FG) play crucial roles in cell behavior.
• Understanding how ECM topography and biochemistry influence cell morphology and adhesion is vital for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of patterned extracellular matrices (ECM) on human dermal fibroblast morphology and behavior.
• To differentiate the effects of topographical cues versus biochemical cues from ECM proteins on cell adhesion and spreading.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of patterned ECM using multiphoton excited (MPE) photochemistry.
• Creation of parallel linear protein structures (600 nm width, 200 µm length) using fibronectin (FN), fibrinogen (FG), and bovine serum albumin (BSA) with varying spacing (10 or 40 µm).
• Quantification of cell behavior using metrics like orientation, elongation, and cell perimeter, along with focal adhesion staining.

Main Results:

• Human dermal fibroblasts exhibited distinct behaviors on FN/FG compared to BSA.
• Cells on BSA patterns were primarily guided by physical topography.
• Cells on FN and FG demonstrated increased spreading across structures, indicating significant cell-matrix interactions via integrins and RGD sites.

Conclusions:

• Patterned ECM structures fabricated by MPE photochemistry can effectively direct cell adhesion and spreading.
• Both topographical features and biochemical composition of the ECM are critical in guiding fibroblast behavior.
• The study elucidates the differential roles of ECM topography and specific protein interactions in directing cell morphology and adhesion.