The behavior of mesenchymal stem cells on micropatterned PLLA membranes

The aim of this study was to evaluate the behaviors of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on Poly(L-Lactic acid) (PLLA) membranes with different surface topographies. The double-sided micropatterns, island-patterned, and sunken-patterned PLLA membranes with diameters of 60 and 100 microm, were fabricated by the soft lithography method. The cell viability of MSCs on the island- and sunken-patterned PLLA membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), MTT assay, and flow cytometric analysis. Cell adhesion and proliferation capability were superior for the MSCs seeding on the island-patterned PLLA membranes than those on the sunken-patterned PLLA membranes. Especially, we observed the best biocompatibility for MSCs on the island-patterned surface with diameter of 100 microm. In addition, the improvement of cell attachment and augmenting subsequent cellular response are investigated after the island-patterned membranes precoating with collagen and fibronectin. Furthermore, the flow cytometric analysis reveals the MSCs can expand and maintain the phenotype on these PLLA membranes without losing its potential for differentiation. Since scale-up of cell production and optimization of culture conditions are important for stem cell engineering, to control the stem cell proliferation and differentiation is necessary. Therefore, besides topographical properties play a crucial role on the stem cells attachment and proliferative activity, it is suggested that the "relative scale" between cell and pattern also affects the cell adhesion morphologies and cell behaviors. Based on the overall cellular response, this study provides a valuable guidance to prepare appropriate topographic surface for tissue engineering application.