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Polystyrene Topography Sticker Array for Cell-Based Assays
Heizel Rosado-Galindo1, Maribella Domenech2
1Mayagüez Campus-Bioengineering Program, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.
Recent Progress in Materials
|March 11, 2021
Summary
Scientists created affordable polystyrene surfaces with microscale topographies to study cell behavior. These surfaces influence cell shape, gene expression, and proliferation, offering a new tool for cell-based assays.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Cell Biology
- Surface Engineering
Background:
- Cellular responses to topographical cues are crucial in the natural microenvironment.
- Existing microfabrication methods for cell culture substrates are costly, technically demanding, and may introduce artifacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an accessible array of microscale topographical surfaces on polystyrene for cell-based assays.
- To investigate the impact of defined surface roughness, depth, and curvature on cell behavior.
Main Methods:
- Utilized razor printing and sanding techniques to create topographical polystyrene films.
- Bound films to culture well bottoms using medical-grade tape, forming a sticker array.
- Tested the array with human monocytes and adult mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs).
Main Results:
- Macrophages on grooved and rough surfaces showed increased elongation and Arg-1 expression compared to flat surfaces.
- Enhanced substrate roughness stimulated hMSC proliferation, correlating with changes in secreted proteins.
- Observed downregulation of differentiation-associated proteins and upregulation of proliferation-associated proteins in hMSCs.
Conclusions:
- The polystyrene topography sticker array effectively supports cellular changes driven by microscale surface features.
- Microscale topographies on polystyrene can leverage endogenous cellular mechanisms for functional modulation in cell-based assays.
