Surface Epitaxial Crystallization-Directed Nanotopography for Accelerating Preosteoblast Proliferation and Osteogenic...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Surface nanotopography influences cell fate, particularly osteogenic differentiation.
• Conventional nanopattern fabrication methods are often complex and challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a feasible and versatile method for creating tunable nanosheets on poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) substrates.
• To investigate the effect of these nanosheets on preosteoblast proliferation and osteogenic differentiation.

Main Methods:

• Surface epitaxial crystallization was employed to generate nanosheets on PCL substrates.
• Nanosheet characteristics (thickness, distance, roughness) were tuned by adjusting PCL concentration.
• Preosteoblast responses, including proliferation and osteogenic marker expression, were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Epitaxial nanosheets were successfully fabricated with tunable properties.
• The nanotopography significantly promoted preosteoblast proliferation and osteogenic differentiation.
• Key osteogenic markers (alkaline phosphatase, collagen type I, osteopontin, osteocalcin) and mineralization were upregulated.
• Activation of the TAZ/RUNX2 signaling pathway was identified as the mechanism driving enhanced differentiation.

Conclusions:

• Surface epitaxial crystallization offers a straightforward approach for designing nanotopography for bone tissue engineering.
• The developed method provides a platform for fabricating functional biomaterials that promote osteogenesis.