Effects of topographical guidance cues on osteoblast cell migration

Abstract

Cell migration is a fundamental process that is crucial for many biological functions in the body such as immune responses and tissue regeneration. Dysregulation of this process is associated with cancer metastasis. In this study, polydimethylsiloxane platforms with various topographical features were engineered to explore the influence of guiding patterns on MC3T3-E1 osteoblast cell migration. Focusing on the guiding effects of grating patterns, variations such as etch depth, pattern discontinuity, and bending angles were investigated. In all experiments, MC3T3-E1 cells on patterned surfaces demonstrated a higher migration speed and alignment when compared to flat surfaces. The study revealed that an increase in etch depth from 150 nm to 4.5 μm enhanced cell alignment and elongation along the grating patterns. In the presence of discontinuous elements, cell migration speed was accelerated when compared to gratings of the same etch depth. These results indicated that cell directionality preference was influenced by a high level of pattern discontinuity. On patterns with bends, cells were more inclined to reverse on 45° bends, with 69% of cells reversing at least once, compared to 54% on 135° bends. These results are attributed to cell morphology and motility mechanisms that are associated with surface topography, where actin filament structures such as filopodia and lamellipodia are essential in sensing the surrounding environment and controlling cell displacement. Knowledge of geometric guidance cues could provide a better understanding on how cell migration is influenced by extracellular matrix topography in vivo.

Chitosan Micro-Grooved Membranes with Increased Asymmetry for the Improvement of the Schwann Cell Response in Nerve Regeneration

“…Considering the migration results along with the morphology analysis, the higher degree of freedom in the shaping could be the cause for the higher motility of cells. Interestingly, this improvement in the cell migration response on asymmetric patterns is in agreement with the few previous works on substrates with different levels of rotational symmetry [ 32 , 42 ]. In [ 32 ], mouse osteoblastic cells (MC3T3) moved faster on PDMS semi-circular arcs (the most asymmetrical pattern) than on gratings and squares, and also showed the strongest directional persistence.…”

“…The asymmetry in the cell shape determined the direction and speed of the cell migration. Another study [ 42 ] showed similar results. Osteoblastic cells (MC3T3) moved faster on PDMS zig-zag patterns with obtuse bends (angle 135°) than with acute bends (45°).…”

Regulation of cell locomotion by nanosecond-laser-induced hydroxyapatite patterning

“…In particular, it has been reported that bone formation-related genes such as Runx2, osteocalcin, and osteopontin are expressed and calcium deposition of osteoblasts is increased on the surface where cell migration is promoted [ 25 , 26 ] to result in increased osseointegration [ 18 ]. Several studies have explored controlling the movement of cells using surface patterns [ [27] , [28] , [29] ]. However, most studies have used relatively easy-to-process polymer materials [ 30 , 31 ].…”

Controlled Scaffold Platform Designs on Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cell Separation

“…Previous studies showed that grating patterns increased surface contact area and could guide cell migration. Moreover, the deeper the gratings, the stronger guidance could be obtained [23]. When cells contacted with the additional surface due to the grating pattern on the bottom layer ridges, the coupling produced the traction force to promote cell migration [58].…”

“…It is a primary cellular process that occurs continuously, sometimes leading to the progression of pathogenic diseases [22]. Previous studies reported cell migration behaviors on two-dimensional (2D) platforms with various engineered topographies [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30]. However, 2D models do not accurately represent the microenvironment of tumors in vivo.…”