Bioactive nanoimprint lithography: A study of human mesenchymal stem cell behavior and fate

Biomaterials aim to mimic in vivo extracellular matrices where cell interactions occur on the nanoscale. Thus, incorporation of nanosized components is interesting in the preparation of bioactive surfaces. We present a technique using nanoimprint lithography to create chemical nanopatterns on silicon surfaces functionalized with bioactive motifs. Due to high throughput and versatility, a wide range of geometries and dimensions can be efficiently patterned. In our study, we prepared and characterized two types of bioactive nanodots (150 nm diameter with 350 nm spacing, and 80 nm diameter with 110 nm spacing) functionalized with cell adhesion-promoting RGD peptides. We examined mesenchymal stem cell adhesion and commitment on these modified material surfaces with respect to homogeneous RGD and non-functionalized surfaces. We report that bioactive nanostructures induce fibrillar adhesions on human mesenchymal stem cells with an impact on their behavior and dynamics specifically in terms of cell spreading, cell-material contact, and cell differentiation.