Development of micro-patterned surfaces of poly(butylene succinate) by micromolding for guided tissue engineering

Native tissues present complex architectures at the micro- and nanoscale that dictate their biological function. Several microfabrication techniques have been employed for engineering polymeric surfaces that could replicate in vitro these micro- and nanofeatures. In this study, biomimetic surfaces of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) were engineered by a micromolding technique. After the optimization of the system parameters, 20 surfaces with different combinations of groove and ridge sizes were devel- oped and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The influence of the engineered micro- features over the viability and attachment of human adipose derived adult stem cells (hASCs) was evaluated. hASCs cultured onto the engineered surfaces were demonstrated to remain viable for all tested patterns. SEM and immunostaining showed adequate attachment and spreading of the stem cells for all the patterned groove/ridge combinations. This study indicated that it is possible to engineer micropat- terned surfaces of PBS and that the developed structures could have great potential for tissue engineering where cell alignment is an essential requisite.