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Cellular Spatial Sensing Determines Cell Mechanotransduction Activity on the Aligned Nanofibers
Qian Sun1, Tiecheng Qiu1, Xiaojing Liu2
1College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, P. R. China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|February 19, 2025
Summary
Cell size dictates how cells interact with aligned electrospun fibers. Larger cells spanning multiple fibers show enhanced spreading and mechanotransduction, unlike smaller cells confined within gaps.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Cell Biology
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Extracellular matrix (ECM) fiber geometry influences cell behavior.
- Previous studies on electrospun fiber alignment effects on cells yielded conflicting results.
- Understanding the precise mechanisms of fiber alignment on cellular mechanosensing is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how polycaprolactone (PCL) electrospun fiber arrangement affects cellular mechanosensing.
- To elucidate the role of cell positioning in response to fiber alignment.
- To optimize fiber architecture for enhanced cellular interactions.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of polycaprolactone (PCL) electrospun fiber substrates with varying alignment.
- Culturing cells of different sizes on these substrates.
- Quantifying cell spreading and mechanotransduction.
- Manipulating cell size to confirm findings.
Main Results:
- Larger cells (spanning >5x fiber gap width) showed enhanced spreading and mechanotransduction.
- Smaller cells (within 2.5x fiber gap width) exhibited limited mechanotransductive signaling.
- Semi-aligned fiber networks improved both cell spreading and mechanotransduction.
Conclusions:
- Cell size and positioning are critical factors in cellular response to aligned fibers.
- Optimizing fiber architecture, particularly through semi-aligned networks, enhances cell-material interactions.
- Findings provide insights for designing biomimetic scaffolds for tissue regeneration.
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