Enhanced osteodifferentiation of MSC spheroids on patterned electrospun fiber mats - An advanced 3D double strategy...

2D cell culture has been widely developed with various micropatterning and microfabrication techniques over the past few decades for creating and controlling cellular microenvironments including cell-matrix interactions, cell-cell interactions, and bio-mimicking the in-vivo tissue hierarchy and functions. However, the drawbacks of 2D culture have currently paved the way to 3D cell culture which is considered clinically and biologically more relevant. Here we report a 3D double strategy for osteodifferentiation of MSC spheroids on nano- and micro-patterned PLGA/Collagen/nHAp electrospun fiber mats. A comparison of cell alignment, proliferation and differentiation of 2D and 3D MSCs on patterned and non-patterned substrate was done. The study demonstrates the synergistic effect of geometric cues and 3D culture on differentiation of MSC spheroids into osteogenic lineage even in absence of osteoinduction medium.