Cell Adhesion and Migration Behaviors on Patterned Thermoresponsive Microgel Stripes

Cell adhesion and migration behaviors are influenced by their surrounding environments. In this work, patterned poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-styrene) (pNIPAAmSt) microgel stripes, which can provide a more complex environment, were fabricated on polyethyleneimine (PEI)-precoated glass substrate, and their effects on cell adhesion and migration behavior were investigated. The results showed that patterned cell layers can be formed on the space regions either by selective adhesion of the cells or by detaching the attached cells from the thermoresponsive microgel stripes via mild temperature stimuli. The migration behavior of the cells was affected by both the cell types and the width of the microgel stripes. The wider the microgel stripe, the harder it is for the cells to migrate, and the longer the patterned cell layers can be conserved. It is worth noting that the cell-cell interaction in the cocultured system plays a key role in the cell migration process. This work may offer a platform to study the adhesion and migration behavior of mono/cocultured cells in a more controllable system.