(571aq) Msc Differentiation on Nanostructured Polysaccharide-Based Surfaces

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are pluripotent cells that are able to differentiate into chondrocytes and/or osteoblasts. MSC differentiation is driven by many factors including surface topography and chemistry, and the presence of growth factors. We are studying the performance of nanostructured, polysaccharide-based surfaces with respect to MSC response. To accomplish this, primary sheep MSC, isolated from bone marrow are seeded on nanostructured surfaces containing biologically functional polysaccharides. The MSC response is assessed qualitatively by microscopic imaging, and quantitatively by functional assays. We are also studying the effects of stabilized growth factors (FGF-2 or TGF-β1) in the presence and absence of nanoscale surface features. In our previous work we have demonstrated the stability of model proteins on these surfaces, and thus we are interested in studying the growth factor stability on these surfaces and their effect in MSC response.