Analyzing the Relationship between Solid-Phase Molecular Presentation and Cell Proliferation, Morphology and...

Precise control over the spatial presentation of molecular cues is essential to engineer functional cell microenvironments. We previously developed CellStudio, a bead-based microsystem that combines cell patterning with localized biosensing, a cell analysis platform for monitoring cell secretion with spatial resolution. In this study, we extend its capabilities to investigate how the solid-phase presentation of fibroblast growth factor 2 influences cell behavior. By customizing the ratio of fibroblast growth factor 2-functionalized microbeads surrounding patterned mesenchymal stem cells clusters, we demonstrate dose-dependent effects on cell proliferation, survival, and morphology. Solid-phase fibroblast growth factor 2 presentation induced cytoskeletal remodeling, increased cell spreading and elongation, and early upregulation of fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 membrane expression. Additionally, we show that local fibroblast growth factor 2 stimulation enhances the secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor, which was in situ captured using functionalized bead sensors integrated into the same substrate. This study demonstrates how CellStudio enables parallel, high-resolution analysis of cellular response to growth factor presentation, providing a versatile platform for investigating cell-microenvironment interactions with potential applications in regenerative medicine, drug screening, and basic cell biology.