Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 23, 2026
Dendrimer-based Uneven Nanopatterns to Locally Control Surface Adhesiveness: A Method to Direct Chondrogenic Differentiation
Published on: January 20, 2018
Screening rat mesenchymal stem cell attachment and differentiation on surface chemistries using plasma polymer
Peng-Yuan Wang1, Lauren R Clements2, Helmut Thissen3
1Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Roosevelt Rd, Sec. 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan; Industrial Research Institute Swinburne (IRIS), and Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, 3122 VIC, Australia; CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, Bayview Avenue, Clayton, 3168 VIC, Australia.
This study developed novel plasma polymer surface chemistry gradients to screen cell-surface interactions. These gradients influenced rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (rMSC) attachment, migration, and differentiation, showing promise for biomaterial development.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Surface Chemistry
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Surface chemistry is crucial for biomaterial interactions with cells.
- Surface chemistry gradients offer a high-throughput method to study subtle cell-surface interactions.
- Plasma polymerization is a versatile technique for creating functionalized surfaces.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate and characterize two types of plasma polymer surface chemistry gradients.
- To investigate the effect of these gradients on rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (rMSC) attachment, migration, and differentiation.
- To establish a method for creating biomaterial surfaces that can influence stem cell behavior.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of acrylic acid (AA) and diethylene glycol dimethyl ether (DG) plasma polymer gradients on 1,7-octadiene (OD) or AA base layers using a tilted mask and diffusion control.
- Characterization of gradient surfaces using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, infrared microscopy mapping, profilometry, water contact angle (WCA) goniometry, and atomic force microscopy.
- Assessment of rMSC attachment density and lineage differentiation (osteogenic and adipogenic) on the gradient surfaces.
Main Results:
- Created OD-AA and AA-DG plasma polymer gradients with distinct surface chemistries.
- Demonstrated that cell adhesion density on gradients changed over time due to migration and growth.
- Osteogenic differentiation was sensitive to local cell density, while adipogenic differentiation was not.
- Identified specific surface chemistry conditions (thick AA coating with high COOH content and specific WCA) that robustly supported osteogenic differentiation.
Conclusions:
- Developed a facile method for creating plasma polymer-based surface chemistry gradients.
- Showcased the influence of surface chemistry gradients on MSC behavior, including attachment, migration, and lineage commitment.
- Highlighted the potential of tailored surface chemistry for controlling stem cell differentiation for biomaterial applications.
