Designing culture surfaces based on cell anchoring mechanisms to regulate cell morphologies and functions

This review article presents an outlook on the current strategies and existing concepts for culture surface designs to regulate cell morphologies and functions. First, cell structures and cell attachment behaviors are described in relation to the interactions between cells and their surroundings. Next, various surface designs are addressed, with a summary of the current topics of particular interest. The architectural features of substrates can be controlled to facilitate the quest for design principles including material choices and geometric modifications. In addition, various types of biomolecules, such as adhesive elements and growth factors, can be incorporated to regulate cell behaviors, including cell attachment, growth and differentiation. It is possible to manipulate these surface variables to produce desired surface designs for inducing cellular responses. In the latter part of this article, the topics discussed involve dendrimer-immobilized surfaces designed in authors' studies dealing with the in vitro culture processes of differentiated and undifferentiated cells. This article will offer novel insights into the processing of cells and tissues toward therapeutic applications in regenerative medicine.