Growth and proliferation of human embryonic stem cells on fully synthetic scaffolds based on carbon nanotubes.

Here we show an industrially scalable and inexpensive method of fabricating entirely synthetic, non-xenogeneic carbon nanotube-based scaffolds by vacuum filtration for the culture of human embryonic stem cells. We show that controlled exposure of carbon nanotubes to sonication and the amount of energy delivered to the dispersion directly impacts the surface properties, allowing for control over the nanotopography of the resulting carbon nanotube films, which in turn has demonstrable effects upon in vitro human embryonic stem cells cultures. By altering the nanotube processing conditions before film fabrication, it is possible to influence cell adherence, proliferation and colony morphology. Such a tunable surface with capabilities of influencing stem cell behaviors, combined with the ability to slow or speed population doubling times, will provide crucial solutions for achieving applications envisioned by stem cell biologists to assist future industrial and clinical implementation of human embryonic stem cells.