Osteogenic response of human mesenchymal stem cells to well-defined nanoscale topography in vitro

BACKGROUND Patterning medical devices at the nanoscale level enables the manipulation of cell behavior and tissue regeneration, with topographic features recognized as playing a significant role in the osseointegration of implantable devices. METHODS In this study, we assessed the ability of titanium-coated hemisphere-like topographic nanostructures of different sizes (approximately 50, 100, and 200 nm) to influence the morphology, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). RESULTS We found that the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs was influenced by the size of the underlying structures, suggesting that size variations in topographic features at the nanoscale level, independently of chemistry, can be exploited to control hMSC behavior in a size-dependent fashion. CONCLUSION Our studies demonstrate that colloidal lithography, in combination with coating technologies, can be exploited to investigate the cell response to well defined nanoscale topography and to develop next-generation surfaces that guide tissue regeneration and promote implant integration.