Unidirectional cellular durotaxis via microfabricated posts of varying anisotropy

This paper presents unprecedented accomplishments toward unidirectional guidance of cellular migration via durotaxis-based microtopography. In contrast to previous efforts, micropost arrays of varying anisotropy (muPVAs) optimize unidirectional control of cell migration through dual axis durotaxis cues which restrict movement in the lateral direction in addition to promoting migration in the direction of increasing micropost stiffness. Preliminary results show 79% of bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) cultured on muPVA substrates migrated within plusmn60deg of the direction of increasing micropost anisotropy. muPVAs offer a simple, yet powerful technique for enabling unidirectional control of cellular migration for a variety of applications in tissue engineering, biomaterials, and medical device implantation.