The success of synthetic bone implants requires good interface between the material and the host tissue. To study the biological relevance of fibronectin (FN) density on the osteogenic commitment of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs), human FN was adsorbed in a linear density gradient on the surface of PCL. The evolution of the osteogenic markers alkaline phosphatase and collagen 1 alpha 1 was monitored by immunohistochemistry, and the cytoskeletal organization and the cell-derived FN were assessed. The functional analysis of the gradient revealed that the lower FN-density elicited stronger osteogenic expression and higher cytoskeleton spreading, hallmarks of the stem cell commitment to the osteoblastic lineage. The identification of the optimal FN density regime for the osteogenic commitment of hBM-MSCs presents a simple and versatile strategy to significantly enhance the surface properties of polycaprolactone as a paradigm for other synthetic polymers intended for bone-related applications.
Keywords: biomaterials; fibronectin; gradient; mesenchymal stem cells; osteogenesis.