Abstract
Signals from the microenvironment around a cell are known to influence cell behavior. Material properties, such as biochemical composition and substrate stiffness, are today accepted as significant regulators of stem cell fate. The knowledge of how cell behavior is influenced by 3D geometric cues is, however, strongly limited despite its potential relevance for the understanding of tissue regenerative processes and the design of biomaterials. Here, the role of surface curvature on the migratory and differentiation behavior of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) has been investigated on 3D surfaces with well‐defined geometric features produced by stereolithography. Time lapse microscopy reveals a significant increase of cell migration speed on concave spherical compared to convex spherical structures and flat surfaces resulting from an upward‐lift of the cell body due to cytoskeletal forces. On convex surfaces, cytoskeletal forces lead to substantial nuclear deformation, increase lamin‐A levels and promote osteogenic differentiation. The findings of this study demonstrate a so far missing link between 3D surface curvature and hMSC behavior. This will not only help to better understand the role of extracellular matrix architecture in health and disease but also give new insights in how 3D geometries can be used as a cell‐instructive material parameter in the field of biomaterial‐guided tissue regeneration.
Highlights
Time lapse microscopy reveals a significant increase of cell migration speed on concave spherical compared to convex spherical structures and flat surfaces resulting from an upward-lift of the cell body an important role due to their ability for self-renewal and differentiation into different mature cells like osteoblasts, adipocytes and chondrocytes.[5]
We systematically investigated the influence of 3D surface curvature on cell and nucleus morphology and the subsequent effect on the migratory and differentiation behavior of hMSCs
Cells on concave spherical surfaces stretched upward, while cells on convex spherical surfaces were in full contact with the curved substrate and nuclei were flattened and deformed by the indenting actin cytoskeleton
Summary
Signals from the microenvironment around a cell are known to influence cell plays an important role in the behavior Material properties, such as biochemical composition and substrate stiffness, are today accepted as significant regulators of stem cell fate. The findings of this study demonstrate a so far missing link between 3D surface curvature and hMSC behavior This will help to better understand the role of extracellular matrix architecture in health and disease and give new ment, such as the substrate stiffness, have a fundamental effect on hMSC cell fate and function and impact tissue regeneration.[6,7,8,9] Recently, evidence is rising that the geometrical properties of the insights in how 3D geometries can be used as a cell-instructive material paramcell’s environment play an important eter in the field of biomaterial-guided tissue regeneration.
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