Adhesion behavior of human bone marrow stromal cells on differentially wettable polymer surfaces

An appropriate cellular response to implanted surfaces is essential for tissue regeneration and integration. In this study, we investigated how human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs) respond to scaffold substrates. We prepared wettable polymer surfaces by exposing polymer sheets to radio frequency plasma discharge, which gradually oxidizes the polymer surface, increasing the roughness and greatly reducing the hydrophobicity. We found that hBMSCs adhered better to highly hydrophilic and rough surfaces than to hydrophobic and smooth surfaces. In addition, the cells flattened extensively on hydrophilic surfaces. Further, c-fos gene expression increased in parallel with the degree of hydrophilicity, whereas the expression of the c-myc gene was higher on hydrophobic than on hydrophilic surfaces. Finally, p53 gene expression was higher on more hydrophobic or hydrophilic surfaces than on moderately hydrophobic or hydrophilic surfaces. These results indicate that the biological signals induced by cell adhesion depend on the wettability of the surface to which the cells attach.