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Effective Spatial Separation of PC12 and NIH3T3 Cells by the Microgrooved Surface of Biocompatible Polymer Substrates
Huichang Gao1, Hua Dong1, Xiaodong Cao1
1†Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Materials Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510641, China.
Abstract:
Most organs and tissues are composed of more than one type of cell that is spatially separated and located in different regions. This study used a microgrooved poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) substrate to guide two types of cocultured cells to two spatially separated regions. Specifically, PC12 pheochromocytoma cells are guided to the inside of microgrooves, whereas NIH3T3 fibroblasts are guided to the ridge area in between neighboring parallel microgrooves. In addition, the microgrooved structures can significantly promote the proliferation and neural differentiation of PC12 cells as well as the osteogenic differentiation of NIH3T3 cells. Therefore, the microgrooved PLGA surface with separated PC12 and NIH3T3 cells can serve as a potential model system for studying nerve reconstruction in bone-repairing scaffolds.
