Human mesenchymal stem cell osteoblast differentiation, ECM deposition, and biomineralization on PAH/PAA polyelectrolyte multilayers

Polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEMU) coatings built layer by layer with alternating pairs of polyelectrolytes can be tuned to improve cell interactions with surfaces and may be useful as biocompatible coatings to improve fixation between implants and tissues. Here, we show that human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) induced with bone differentiation medium (BDM) to become osteoblasts biomineralize crosslinked PEMUs built with the polycation poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and the polyanion poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). Degrees of hMSC osteoblast differentiation and surface biomineralization on the smooth PAH‐terminated PEMUs (PAH‐PEMUs) and microstructured PAA‐terminated PEMUs (PAA‐PEMUs) reflect differences in cell‐deposited extracellular matrix (ECM). BDM‐induced hMSCs expressed higher levels of the early osteoblast differentiation marker alkaline phosphatase and collagen 1 (COL1) sooner on PAA‐PEMUs than on PAH‐PEMUs. Cells on both types of PEMUs proceeded to express the later stage osteoblast differentiation marker bone sialoprotein (BSP), but the BDM‐induced cells organized a more amorphous Collagen I and denser BSP localization on PAA‐PEMUs than on PAH‐PEMUs. These ECM properties correlated with greater biomineralization on the PAA‐PEMUs than on PAH‐PEMUs. Together, these results confirm the suitability of PAH/PAA PEMUs as a substrate for hMSC osteogenesis and highlight the importance of substrate effects on ECM organization and BSP presentation on biomineralization. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 103A: 1818–1827, 2015.