title: Magnetically actuated microstructured surfaces can actively modify cell migration behaviour.
abstract: We present a study on the application of magnetically actuated polymer micropillar surfaces in modifying the migration behaviour of cells. We show that micropillar surfaces actuated at a frequency of 1 Hz can cause more than a 5-fold decrease in cell migration rates compared to controls, whereas non-actuated micropillar surfaces cause no statistically significant alterations in cell migration rates. The effectiveness of the micropillar arrays in impeding cell migration depends on micropillar density and placement patterns, as well as the direction of micropillar actuation with respect to the direction of cell migration. Since the magnetic micropillar surfaces presented can be actuated remotely with small external magnetic fields, their integration with implants could provide new possibilities for in-vivo tissue engineering applications.
authors.affiliation: The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. khadem@mail.ubc.ca.
authors.forename: F
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5131-9148
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Khademolhosseini
authors.affiliation: The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.|Child and Family Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: C-C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.|Child and Family Research Institute, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chiao
mesh_terms: D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D002465:Cell Movement; D061307:Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D060526:Magnetic Fields; D013499:Surface Properties; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods
keywords: Cell migration; Magnetic micropillar; Mechanical stimulation; Polymer actuator