Graded Protein/PEG Nanopattern Arrays: Well-Defined Gradient Biomaterials to Induce Basic Cellular Behaviors

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Gradient biomaterials are crucial for high-throughput screening of materials and studying cell migration.
• Enhancing the regularity of morphological structure and chemical modification in gradient biomaterials is key for rapid and precise screening.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel fabrication strategy for gradient biomaterials with ordered nanopattern arrays.
• To investigate the effects of these patterned biomaterials on cell adhesion, cytoskeleton organization, and migration.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of graded protein/poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) nanopattern arrays using surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization and inclined reactive-ion etching.
• Utilizing colloidal lithography for creating ordered nanopatterns on a quartz substrate.
• Culturing mouse MC3T3-E1 cells on the fabricated gradient nanopattern arrays.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a graded distribution of cell adhesion density along the substrate after 24 hours.
• Observed polarization of the cytoskeleton parallel to the gradient direction after 7 days.
• Induced oriented migration of mouse MC3T3-E1 cells on the graded protein/PEG nanopattern arrays.

Conclusions:

• The novel fabrication strategy successfully created ordered nanopattern arrays in gradient biomaterials.
• These gradient nanopatterned biomaterials effectively influence cell adhesion, cytoskeleton organization, and directed migration.
• The developed platform allows for detailed investigation of the correlation between the extracellular matrix and cellular responses to stimuli.