Adhesion of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells to glycosaminoglycan surfaces with different protein patterns

Proteins and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are main constituents of the extracellular matrix (ECM). They act in synergism and are equally critical for the development, growth, function or survival of an organism. In this work, we developed surfaces that display these two classes of biomacromolecules, namely GAGs and proteins, in spatially controlled fashion. The generated surfaces can be used as a minimalistic but straightforward model aiding the elucidation of cell-ECM interactions. GAGs (hyaluronic acid and heparin) were covalently bound to amino func-tionalized surfaces and albumin or fibronectin were patterned by micro-contact printing on top of them. We demonstrate that adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) can adhere either on protein or GAG pattern as a function of the patterned molecules. ASCs found on the GAG pattern had different morphology and expressed different surface markers than the cells adherent on the protein pattern. ASCs morphology and spreading were also dependent on the size of the pattern. These results show that the developed supports can be also used for ASCs differentiation into different lineages.