Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 May 1.
Published in final edited form as: Acta Biomater. 2013 May 9;9(8):7977–7986. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2013.04.040

Figure 3. Capillary forces localize cells.

Figure 3.

Column (a) shows the density of D1 cells on MP substrates for dry (top) and PBS-submerged (bottom) substrates. Column (b) shows the cell density on NMP substrates for the same cases as in (a). All images are shown at 20x. (c) Schematic of capillary force hypothesis. Dry MP substrates will actively draw in cells and proteins in solution. MP substrates with fluid-filled pores must rely on cell migration and diffusion for cells and proteins to localize. (d) Dry MP substrates have a greater cell density than any of the four substrates (p<2.5E-5). The cell density of the dry MP substrate is eleven times that of wet MP substrate, and five times that of dry NMP substrate. There is no difference between NMP dry, NMP wet, and MP wet substrates (p>0.05). (e) Dry, composite substrate demonstrating cell localization. The upper hemi-circle is made of NMP CaP while the lower hemi-circle is made of MP CaP. Scale bar = 500μm. (f-i) scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of MP and NMP substrate surfaces with D1 cells. Cells were stained with Cell-Tracker Green (CellTracker™ Green CMFDA) for fluorescent imaging.