Mesenchymal stem cell differentiation on microstructured poly (methyl methacrylate) substrates

Recent studies on 2D substrates have revealed the importance of surface properties in affecting cell behaviour. In particular, surface topography appears to influence and direct cell migration. The development of new technologies of hot embossing and micro-imprinting has made it possible to study cell interactions with controlled micro features and to determine how these features can affect cell behaviour. Several studies have been carried out on the effect of microstructures on cell adhesion, cell guidance and cell proliferation. However, there is still a lack of knowledge on how these features affect mesenchymal stem cell differentiation. This study was designed to evaluate whether highly controlled microstructures on PMMA could induce rMSC differentiation into an osteogenic lineage. Structured PMMA was seeded with rMSC and cell number; cell morphology and cell differentiation were evaluated. Results confirm that microstructures not only affect cell proliferation and alignment but also have a synergistic effect with osteogenic medium on rMSC differentiation into mature osteoblasts.