Nanobiocomposite organic/inorganic films to direct human primary cell behavior

Abstract

The engineering of biomaterial interfaces is an area of ongoing study, with relevance in furthering the understanding of basic cell behavior as well as promoting desired outcomes for clinical applications. Here, we report a facile drop cast method to fabricate nanobiocomposite films atop medical grade Titanium (Ti) composed of both organic (chitosan, Cs) and inorganic (Laponite™, Lap) components, with scanning electron and atomic force microscopy indicating uniform and reproducible film composition. We further demonstrate controlled cell behavior of two clinically relevant primary cell types – human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) and osteoblasts – seeded atop the films. For both cell types, Cs incorporation decreased cell area and increased Form Factor (corresponding to a more rounded morphology) in a dose-dependent manner, with subsequent Lap incorporation “recovering” larger areas and more spread morphologies back toward those observed on Ti alone. Collectively, these results indicate the potential of the drop cast fabrication as a platform technique with which to predict the in vivo regenerative performance of interfacial biomaterials.