title: Patterned polymer matrix promotes stemness and cell-cell interaction of adult stem cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The interaction of stem cells with their culture substrates is critical in controlling their fate and function. Declining stemness of adult-derived human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) during in vitro expansion on tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) severely limits their therapeutic efficacy prior to cell transplantation into damaged tissues. Thus, various formats of natural and synthetic materials have been manipulated in attempts to reproduce in vivo matrix environments in which hMSCs reside.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We developed a series of patterned polymer matrices for cell culture by hot-pressing poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) films in femtosecond laser-ablated nanopore molds, forming nanofibers on flat PCL substrates. hMSCs cultured on these PCL fiber matrices significantly increased expression of critical self-renewal factors, Nanog and OCT4A, as well as markers of cell-cell interaction PECAM and ITGA2. The results suggest the patterned polymer fiber matrix is a promising model to maintain the stemness of adult hMSCs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This approach meets the need for scalable, highly repeatable, and tuneable models that mimic extracellular matrix features that signal for maintenance of hMSC stemness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA.
authors.forename: Lucas H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Hofmeister
authors.affiliation: Center for Laser Applications, University of Tennessee Space Institute, Tullahoma, TN USA.
authors.forename: Lino
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA.
authors.forename: Daniel A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Balikov
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA.
authors.forename: Spencer W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Crowder
authors.affiliation: Center for Laser Applications, University of Tennessee Space Institute, Tullahoma, TN USA.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Terekhov
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN USA.
authors.forename: Hak-Joon
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.affiliation: Center for Laser Applications, University of Tennessee Space Institute, Tullahoma, TN USA.
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Hofmeister
keywords: Matrix; Nanofiber; Nanopore; Polycaprolactone; Stem cell