Temporal Control of Osteoblast Cell Growth and Behavior Dictated by Nanotopography and Shear Stress

Biomaterial design involves assessment of cellular response to nanotopography parameters such as shape, dimension of nanotopography features. Here, the effect of nanotopography alongside the in vivo factor, shear stress, on osteoblast cell behavior, is reported. Tantalum oxide nanodots of 50 or 100 nm diameter were engineered using anodized aluminum oxide as a template. Bare tantalum nitride coated silicon substrates were taken as control (flat). MG63 (osteoblast) cells were seeded for 72 hours on flat, 50 or 100 nm nanodots and modulation in cell morphology, cell viability and expression of integrins was studied. Cells displayed a well-extended morphology on 50 nm nanodots in contrast to an elongated morphology on 100 nm nanodots, as observed by scanning electron microscopy and immunofluorescence staining, thereby confirming the cellular response to different nanotopographies. Based on quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction data, a greater fold change in the expression of α1, α2, α3, α8, α9, αV, β1, β4, β5, β7 and β8 integrins was observed in cells cultured on 100 nm than on 50 nm nanodots. Moreover, in the presence of a shear stress of 2 dyne/cm², a 52% increase in the cell viability after culturing the cells for 72 hours was observed on 100 nm nanodots as compared to 50 nm nanodots, thereby validating the effect of shear stress on cell behavior. Duration-of-culture experiments revealed 100 nm nanodots to be an ideal nanotopography choice to engineer optimized implant geometries for an ideal cell response. This study highlights the in vivo factors which need to be considered while designing nanotopographies for in vivo applications, for an ideal response as the cell-nanomaterial interface. Applications in the field of Biomedical, tissue engineering and cancer research are expected.