Effects of the polymeric niche on neural stem cell characteristics during primary culturing

Abstract

The polymeric niche encountered by cells during primary culturing can affect cell fate. However, most cell types are primarily propagated on polystyrene (PS). A cell type specific screening for optimal primary culture polymers particularly for regenerative approaches seems inevitable. The effect of physical and chemical properties of treated (corona, oxygen/nitrogen plasma) and untreated cyclic olefin polymer (COP), polymethymethacrylate (PMMA), PP, PLA, PS, PC on neuronal stem cell characteristics was analyzed. Our comprehensive approach revealed plasma treated COP and PMMA as optimal polymers for primary neuronal stem cell culturing and propagation. An increase in the number of NT2/D1 cells with pronounced adhesion, metabolic activities and augmented expression of neural precursor markers was associated to the plasma treatment of surfaces of COP and PMMA with nitrogen or oxygen, respectively. A shift towards large cell sizes at stable surface area/volume ratios that might promote the observed increase in metabolic activities and distinct modulations in F-actin arrangements seem to be primarily mediated by the plasma treatment of surfaces. These results indicate that the polymeric niche has a distinct impact on various cell characteristics. The selection of distinct polymers and the controlled design of an optimized polymer microenvironment might thereby be an effective tool to promote essential cell characteristics for subsequent approaches.

Cell Morphology on Poly(methyl methacrylate) Microstructures as Function of Surface Energy

“…The pluripotent human embryonal carcinoma cell line NTera2/cl.d1 (NT2/D1) which is able to differentiate into mature neurons [53] was chosen as model to test this. NT2/D1 precursors are commonly used as a model for neurogenesis [40] and have already shown promise for implementation in experimental [54–56] and clinical [57] cell replacement approaches. For a clearer presentation of our results we show a clear contrast between parallel (Figures 5(a1)–5(a5)) and perpendicular (Figures 5(b1)–5(b5)) water droplet behaviour and our observed NT2/D1 morphological changes (Figures 5(c1)–5(c5)) on nonstructured control and microstructured PMMA substrates.…”

“…Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), also known by the trade name Plexiglas©, was selected as polymeric cell niche based on our previous work [40]. PMMA generally exhibits hydrophilic characteristics due to the ester groups in its macromolecular backbone (molecular formula: C 5 O 2 H 8 ) n ), is sufficiently and optically transparent to permit cell observation by microscopy, and exhibits good casting qualities for microstructuring [41].…”

Surfaces for hearts: Establishing the optimum plasma surface engineering methodology on polystyrene for cardiac cell engineering

“…Haubenwallner et al suggested that there is a direct connection of cell fate to the polymer niche [42]. In their study, they reveal that the use of a specific type of polymer with a tailored microenvironment can be considered as an effective tool for promoting essential cell characteristics for subsequent approaches and point out the necessity of using a cell type specific screening approach when referring to synthetic materials and material treatments for particular cell types.…”