A Combinational Effect of "Bulk" and "Surface" Shape-Memory Transitions on the Regulation of Cell Alignment.
A novel shape-memory cell culture platform has been designed that is capable of simultaneously tuning surface topography and dimensionality to manipulate cell alignment. By crosslinking poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) macromonomers of precisely designed nanoarchitectures, a shape-memory PCL with switching temperature near body temperature is successfully prepared. The temporary strain-fixed PCLs are prepared by processing through heating, stretching, and cooling about the switching temperature. Temporary nanowrinkles are also formed spontaneously during the strain-fixing process with magnitudes that are dependent on the applied strain. The surface features completely transform from wrinkled to smooth upon shape-memory activation over a narrow temperature range. Shape-memory activation also triggers dimensional deformation in an initial fixed strain-dependent manner. A dynamic cell-orienting study demonstrates that surface topographical changes play a dominant role in cell alignment for samples with lower fixed strain, while dimensional changes play a dominant role in cell alignment for samples with higher fixed strain. The proposed shape-memory cell culture platform will become a powerful tool to investigate the effects of spatiotemporally presented mechanostructural stimuli on cell fate.
International Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, 305-0044, Japan.
Koichiro
K
Uto
International Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, 305-0044, Japan.
Takao
T
Aoyagi
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, 4000 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
Cole A
CA
DeForest
Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, 3720 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
Allan S
AS
Hoffman
International Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki, Tsukuba, 305-0044, Japan.
Mitsuhiro
M
Ebara
D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*
D011091:Polyesters; C016240:polycaprolactone
cell alignment; dynamic cell culture substrate; mechanostructural factors; nanowrinkles; shape-memory polymers