Cell behaviour on micro-textured surfaces

• Main Author: Loh, Zhe Yuen.
• Other Authors: Bjoern Holger Neu
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: DRNTU::Science::Biological sciences::Cytology
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/45345
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The surface topology of materials can be modified to improve cell-surface interaction. While this has been done extensively by chemical means, mechanical modifications to surface topology are expected to also affect these interactions and therefore are considered worth investigating. Micro-textured surfaces on polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and SS316L stainless steel were fabricated by micro-cutting and micro-electro-discharge machining (EDM) respectively. The PMMA surface was modified by producing grooves of varying widths and depths; the stainless steel surface was modified with overlapping micro-craters to produce varying surface roughness. The proliferation, morphology and alignment of NIH-3T3 fibroblasts on these micro-textured surfaces was analysed. It was found that cells aligned along the V-grooved samples, and were randomly-orientated in the U-grooved and on the raw samples. Furthermore, the cells were spindle-shaped on the V-grooved and raw samples, but triangular on the U-grooved samples. Cells proliferated well on the micro-textured stainless steel, and reached confluence on textured surfaces; on smooth areas, the cells generally did not adhere. In both cases, cells proliferated better in the presence of gelatine coating.