INVESTIGATION OF NANO-TOPOGRAPHICAL CUES FOR MESENCHYMAL STEM CELL CHONDROGENESIS

Abstract

ADULT ARTICULAR CARTILAGE TISSUE HAS LIMITED SELF-REGENERATIVE CAPACITY DUE TO ITS LOW CELLULAR MIGRATION, AVASCULARITY AND LACK OF PROGENITOR CELLS. CURRENT TREATMENT HAS RESULTED IN SUB-OPTIMUM CARTILAGE REPAIR. CARTILAGE TISSUE ENGINEERING USING STEM CELLS TO GENERATE CHONDROCYTES IS BECOMING AN EXPANDING RESEARCH FIELD IN RECENT YEARS. HOWEVER, THE QUALITY OF CARTILAGE GENERATED FROM MSCS AT PRESENT IS INFERIOR IN ITS BIOCHEMICAL CONTENT AND MECHANICAL STRENGTH WHEN COMPARED TO PHYSIOLOGICAL CARTILAGE. PROVISION OF BIOMIMETIC MICROENVIRONMENT FEATURES, INCLUDING BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL CUES, HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO INFLUENCE CELL FATE AND FUNCTION. BIOPHYSICAL CUES SUCH AS SURFACE TOPOGRAPHY AND SUBSTRATE STIFFNESS HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO INFLUENCE STEM CELL CHONDROGENIC DIFFERENTIATION. THIS STUDY AIMS TO STUDY THE INFLUENCE OF SURFACE NANO-TOPOGRAPHY ON MSC CHONDROGENESIS. TO CREATE SPATIALLY-CONTROLLED NANO-TOPOGRAPHIC PATTERNS ON THE POLYMERIC SUBSTRATE, THERMAL IMPRINTING TECHNO