Abstract
lnduced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) own the capacity to develop into all cell types of the adult body, presenting high potential in regenerative medicine. Regulating and controlling the differentiation of iPSCs via the surface topographic cues of biomaterials is a promising and safe approach to enhance their therapeutic efficacy. In this study, we tested the effects of microscale roughness on differentiation of human iPSCs into neural progenitor cells and dopaminergic neuron cells using polystyrene surface with different roughness levels. Neural differentiation of human iPSCs could be strongly influenced by microscale roughness. Upregulated neuronal markers were detected in iPSCs cells seeded on rougher surface, as examined by real-time PCR and immunost aini ng. Particularly, the intermedium rough surface significantly improved the neuronal marker expression as compared other surfaces. This study demonstrates that a surface with an appropriated microscale roughness level can promote the differentiation of human iPSCs towards the neuronal lineage. Our study suggests the potential applications of controllable iPSCs cell differentiation via surface structure, and highlights the strategy of design and development of structured surface on regulating stem cell development.
