(625v) Control of Cell Adhesion and Migration Using Nanoengineered Substrates

Control of Cell Adhesion and Migration using Nanoengineered Substrates

G Harris and E.
Jabbaradeh

Department of
Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC

Abstract

         Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are uniquely positioned
as the most promising cell source for tissue engineering and cell transplant
strategies due to their unique capability of self-renewal as
well as being able to differentiate into diverse cell types. However, their use as a therapy is hampered due
to the limited understanding of the mechanisms by which cells integrate
environmental stimuli. A
significant step towards this goal can be achieved through the development of platforms with controllable physical and chemical properties
that allow for further exploration of the co-operative involvement of these
signals. The focus of this study was the development of nanoengineered substrates with finely
controllable ligand density, topographical features and surface stiffness for
the study of cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions. To this end, dip-pen-nanolithography (DPN) was employed to create islands of
collagen and fibronectin with different size, shape, and spacing. Time-lapse
microscopy in combination with immunofluorescent staining was used to monitor stem
cell adhesion and migratory characteristics on nanoengineered substrates. In this
presentation, we discuss how the interplay between various ECM properties
controls cell signaling characteristics that are important in ultimate defining
of stem cell lineage commitment.