Mesenchymal stem cells in response to exposed rod-heights of TiO2 nanorod films

Abstract

Cellular responses are strongly sensitive to surface structure, so the optimization of the structures is essential in biomaterial research. In this work, the exposed nanorod-heights in TiO₂ nanorod films were adjusted for enhancing cellular responses. The adjustment was realized by incorporating mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG) into the nanorod films via a sol–gel method. The exposed nanorod-heights in the films could be changed from the original ∼300 nm to ∼200 nm and ∼100 nm. The cellular responses on the nanostructured surfaces were evaluated through culturing mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The results showed that the films with shortened nanorod-heights had better cellular responses and could accelerate osteogenic differentiation and mineralization, and the films with 100 nm nanorod-height provided the best surface for cell growth. This is attributed to the nanostructure with the shortened nanorod-heights being well recognized by the cells, consequently the cells grew with a faster osteogenic differentiation through a strengthened BMP-smads signal pathway.