Roles of Nanofiber Structure and Chemistry in Directing Stem Cell Morphology, Differentiation and Gene Expression

Abstract

Nanofiber technology has emerged as a promising tool to recapitulate the native extracellular matrix (ECM) environment for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine strategies. Cell-material interactions in the nanofiber system are largely dependent on nanofiber properties such as fiber diameter, alignment and biological functionality as well as cell type and culture condition. Therefore, in order to understand the mechanisms underlying cell-material interactions in the nanofiber environment, systematic studies with controlled material properties and culture conditions are required. In previous studies conducted by our laboratory, we determined that nanofiber scaffold structures uniquely induced osteogenic differentiation without osteogenic supplement (1). In the current study we have systematically investigated the synergistic roles of nanofiber structure and chemistry in directing the response of Human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs). In our material system, scaffold structure is kept constant while chemistry is varied by hydrolysis.