title: Thin polymer brush decouples biomaterial's micro-/nanotopology and stem cell adhesion.
abstract: Surface morphology and chemistry of polymers used as biomaterials, such as tissue engineering scaffolds, have a strong influence on the adhesion and behavior of human mesenchymal stem cells. Here we studied semicrystalline poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) substrate scaffolds, which exhibited a variation of surface morphologies and roughness originating from different spherulitic superstructures. Substrates were obtained by varying the parameters of the thermal processing, that is, crystallization conditions. The cells attached to these polymer substrates adopted different morphologies responding to variations in spherulite density and size. In order to decouple substrate topology effects on the cells, sub-100 nm bioadhesive polymer brush coatings of oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylates were grafted from PCL and functionalized with fibronectin. On surfaces featuring different surface textures, dense and sub-100 nm thick brush coatings determined the response of cells, irrespective to the underlying topology. Thus, polymer brushes decouple substrate micro-/nanoscale surface topology and the adhesion of stem cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Technology of Polymers, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente , P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Klein Gunnewiek
authors.forename: Edmondo M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Benetti
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Luca
authors.forename: Clemens A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: van Blitterswijk
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moroni
authors.forename: G Julius
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Vancso
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D055616:Microtechnology; D036103:Nanotechnology; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011091:Polyesters; C016240:polycaprolactone