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Preparation of Thermoresponsive Nanostructured Surfaces for Tissue Engineering
Published on: March 1, 2016
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A thermoresponsive, micro-roughened cell culture surface
Morgan M Stanton1, Christopher R Lambert1
1Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Bioengineering Institute, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, MA 01609, USA.
Acta Biomaterialia
|December 20, 2014
Summary
This study shows that micro-roughened surfaces combined with a thermoresponsive polymer can create engineered cell sheets. These cell sheets exhibit enhanced fibronectin formation, useful for tissue repair.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Cell Biology
- Surface Engineering
Background:
- Surface topography significantly influences cell behavior and tissue engineering.
- Exploiting surface properties for cell surface engineering remains an underexplored area.
- Thermoresponsive polymers offer tunable surface properties for cell culture.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the use of surface roughness and polyisopropylacrylamide (PIPAAm) for generating tailored cell sheets.
- To analyze the impact of micro-roughened surfaces on human fibroblast cell behavior and extracellular matrix production.
- To develop a rapid and reliable method for cell sheet harvesting.
Main Methods:
- Micro-roughened polystyrene (PS) surfaces (1.5-5.5 μm features) were functionalized with PIPAAm.
- Human fibroblast cell sheets were cultured on both rough and flat PIPAAm-coated PS surfaces.
- Cellular changes in cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix (fibronectin) were analyzed.
- Cell sheet detachment was induced by cooling the culture system.
Main Results:
- Fibroblast cell sheets on rough surfaces showed reduced actin stress fibers compared to flat surfaces.
- Fibronectin fibril formation was doubled in cell sheets cultured on rough surfaces.
- Cell sheets were harvested in under 1 hour after 2 days of culture via temperature reduction.
- The PIPAAm-grafted thermoresponsive surface facilitated reliable cell sheet formation.
Conclusions:
- Combining surface roughness with thermoresponsive polymers enables the engineering of cell sheets with modified biochemical properties.
- The developed method enhances fibronectin deposition, crucial for tissue regeneration applications.
- This approach offers a simple, rapid, and effective strategy for cell sheet fabrication with potential in tissue grafts and wound repair.
