Hiroaki Yoshida, Jeffrey Gaulding, Apoorva Kalasuramath, Andrés J. García, L. Andrew Lyon School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
Fluorescence microscopy of NIH 3T3 fibroblasts on microgel substrates; the 4-layer film has a highly fluid (dynamic) interface, while the monolayer is static. The lack of focal adhesions on the 4-layer film suggests poor spreading due to film mobility.
Cell adhesion and spreading can be controlled via dynamic interfaces composed of self-assembled microgel thin films. The act of cell adhesion and spreading causes particles to move, inhibiting cell spreading.
Cell adhesion on biomaterials is controlled by various substrate parameters. Here, we have shown for the first time that the dynamic rearrangement of multilayered microgel films dictates cell behavior. This provides a new approach to controlling cellular proliferation at biomaterial interfaces, which is relevant for the design of biomedical implants that integrate efficiently with the host.
