Layer-by-layer assembled polyelectrolytes on honeycomb-like porous poly(ε-caprolactone) films modulate the spatial distribution of mesenchymal stem cells

Cellular behaviors can be affected by both surface chemistry and topography of biomaterials substrates. The object of the present study was to investigate how pore structure and bioactive molecules regulate the adhesion and proliferation of rabbit bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (rMSCs) in synergy. Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) films with a honeycomb-like porous structure were fabricated via a breath-figure method, and then further coated with bioactive molecules including four combinations of polyelectrolytes (GEL/CS, GEL/HA, CHI/CS and CHI/HA) via a layer-by-layer self-assembly (LBL) process. rMSCs were seeded on these films to evaluate both adhesion and proliferation. It was shown that a uniform honeycomb-like porous structure with a pore size of 18.87 ± 3.25 μm was obtained in the films. Bioactive molecules were proven to be successfully deposited on the films, the amount of which increased with the number of assembled layer. Both surface pore structure and assembled molecules play significant roles on the adhesion and proliferation of rMSCs. Notably, the spatial distribution of cells (either entrapped in pores or spreading over pores) on porous films was also dictated by the identity of the assembled molecules. These findings might be fundamental to design bioactive scaffolds for tissue engineering.