Mechanical regulation of collective cell behavior via microtopographic substrates

This paper demonstrates the feasibility in utilizing microtopographic substrates to maintain or inhibit collective cell behavior via micromachined posts and thin-film stencils. This technique enables groups, or collectives, of cells to be localized and directly cultured onto microposts for studying effects of substrate stiffness on collective cell behavior. Preliminary results show that bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) collectively contract on soft substrates and disperse into single cells on stiff substrates after 16-hour studies. The micropost mechanical stiffness required for collective-to-single-cell transitions is characterized as 65 ± 41 nN/μm. As such, this work provides an essential foundation for growing and controlling collective cells under in vitro environments for interrogating a wide range of growth and pathological biological phenomena.