The control of mesenchymal stem cell differentiation using dynamically tunable surface microgrooves.

Many studies have demonstrated the potential to modulate stem cell differentiation by using static material substrate surfaces. However, cells actually grow in a dynamically diverse microenvironment in vivo. The regulated signals to the differentiation provided by these materials should not be passive or static but be active and dynamic. To mimic the endogenous cell culture microenvironment, a novel system is designed to realize the dynamic change of the surface geometries as well as a resultant mechanical force using a thermally activated four-stage shape memory polymer. The parallel microgroove surface patterns are fabricated via thermal embossing lithography on the polymer substrate surface. The dynamic microgroove surfaces accompanying with the mechanical force can effectively and significantly regulate the shape and the cytoskeletal arrangement of rBMSC compared with the static patterned and non-patterned surfaces. Cellular and molecular analyses reveal that the spatiotemporally programmed regulation of cell shape is more viable to coax lineage-specific differentiation of stem cell in contrast to the general reports with the static surfaces. Therefore, this study provides a facile strategy in designing and manufacturing an artificial substrate with a mimic natural cellular environment to precisely direct the cell differentiation.