title: Rapid micropatterning of cell lines and human pluripotent stem cells on elastomeric membranes.
abstract: Tissue function during development and in regenerative medicine completely relies on correct cell organization and patterning at micro and macro scales. We describe a rapid method for patterning mammalian cells including human embryonic stem cells (HESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) on elastomeric membranes such that micron-scale control of cell position can be achieved over centimeter-length scales. Our method employs surface engineering of hydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes by plasma polymerization of allylamine. Deposition of plasma polymerized allylamine (ppAAm) using our methods may be spatially restricted using a micro-stencil leaving faithful hydrophilic ppAAm patterns. We employed airbrushing to create aerosols which deposit extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins (such as fibronectin and Matrigel™) onto the same patterned ppAAm rich regions. Cell patterns were created with a variety of well characterized cell lines (e.g., NIH-3T3, C2C12, HL1, BJ6, HESC line HUES7, and HiPSC line IPS2). Individual and multiple cell line patterning were also achieved. Patterning remains faithful for several days and cells are viable and proliferate. To demonstrate the utility of our technique we have patterned cells in a variety of configurations. The ability to rapidly pattern cells at high resolution over macro scales should aid future tissue engineering efforts for regenerative medicine applications and in creating in vitro stem cell niches.
authors.affiliation: Wolfson Centre for Stem Cells, Tissue Engineering, and Modelling (STEM), Centre of Biomolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.
authors.forename: Isha
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Paik
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Scurr
authors.forename: Bryan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Denning
authors.forename: Morgan R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: Kevin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Shakesheff
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Dixon
mesh_terms: D000499:Allylamine / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000737:chemistry; D020724:Elastomers; D006801:Humans; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008566:Membranes / Q000737:chemistry*; D039904:Pluripotent Stem Cells; D011108:Polymers; D013499:Surface Properties; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; D020724:Elastomers; D011108:Polymers; C036925:elastomeric polymer; D000499:Allylamine; C013830:baysilon