Electrochemical control of bone microstructure on electroactive surfaces for modulation of stem cells and bone tissue engineering

Danfeng Cao; Jose G Martinez; Risa Anada; Emilio Satoshi Hara; Hiroshi Kamioka; Edwin W H Jager

doi:10.1080/14686996.2023.2183710

Electrochemical control of bone microstructure on electroactive surfaces for modulation of stem cells and bone tissue engineering

Sci Technol Adv Mater. 2023 Mar 10;24(1):2183710. doi: 10.1080/14686996.2023.2183710. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Danfeng Cao¹, Jose G Martinez¹, Risa Anada^{2

3}, Emilio Satoshi Hara², Hiroshi Kamioka³, Edwin W H Jager¹

Affiliations

¹ Sensor and Actuator Systems, Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM), Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
² Advanced Research Center for Oral and Craniofacial Sciences Dental School, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.
³ Department of Orthodontics, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan.

Abstract

Controlling stem cell behavior at the material interface is crucial for the development of novel technologies in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. The composition and presentation of bio-factors on a surface strongly influence the activity of stem cells. Herein, we designed an electroactive surface that mimics the initial process of trabecular bone formation, by immobilizing chondrocyte-derived plasma membrane nanofragments (PMNFs) on its surface for rapid mineralization within 2 days. Moreover, the electroactive surface was based on the conducting polymer polypyrrole (PPy), which enabled dynamic control of the presentation of PMNFs on the surface via electrochemical redox switching, further resulting in the formation of bone minerals with different morphologies. Furthermore, bone minerals with contrasting surface morphologies had differential effects on the differentiation of human bone marrow-derived stem cells (hBMSCs) cultured on the surface. Together, this electroactive surface showed multifunctional characteristics, not only allowing dynamic control of PMNF presentation but also promoting the formation of bone minerals with different morphologies within 2 days. This electroactive substrate could be valuable for more precise control of stem cell growth and differentiation, and further development of more suitable microenvironments containing bone apatite for housing a bone marrow stem cell niche, such as biochips/bone-on-chips.

Keywords: Polypyrrole; bone; chip; organ-on-chip; plasma membrane; redox switching.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Japanese Society of the Promotion of Science, JSPS, Bridge Fellowship program (BR170502) and KAKENHI (JP20H04534, JP19H03859), Japan Science and Technology Agency, JST, FOREST Program, Grant Number JPMJFR210XJ, Swedish Research Council (VR2014-3079), Promobilia (F17603), and China Scholarship Council. This work was also supported by the bilateral joint research project grant by JSPS (JPJSBP 120209923) and STINT, The Swedish Foundation for International Cooperation in Research and Higher Education, (MG2019-8171). The Article Processing Charge (APC) is covered by Linköping University Library’s publishing agreement with Taylor & Francis.