Interaction of animal cells with ordered nanotopography

Abstract

Animal cells live in a complex and diverse environment where they encounter a vast amount of information, a considerable amount of which is in the nanometer range. The surface topography that a cell encounters has a role to play in influencing cell behavior. It has been demonstrated widely that surface shape can directly influence the behavior of cells. In this paper, we discuss the interactions of animal cells with engineered nanotopography, fabricated in quartz and reverse embossed into polycaprolactone, fibroblast cells show reduced adhesion to the ordered nano pits. We show that the area of cells spreading on a structured nanotopography is reduced compared with that on a planar substrate. Furthermore, cytoskeletal organization is disrupted as indicated by a marked decrease in number and size of focal contacts.