The effect of surface treatment of ceramic oxide coatings deposited by magnetron sputtering method on the adhesive and proliferative activity of mesenchymal stem cells

During the last years the interest to mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has significantly increased due to diverse clinical application of MSCs. As a result, it appears necessary to develop methods to increase the number of MSCs by culturing bone marrow (BM) cells in vitro, mainly to achieve consistent control of cell adhesion and proliferation processes at the biomaterial interface. In this study, we have analyzed the effect of surface treatment by argon ions bombardment and the electron beam irradiation on the structural and surface properties of the ceramic Al2O3 coatings by TEM, SEM and AFM methods. The coatings were deposited by reactive magnetron sputtering and surface characteristics were correlated with cultured MSCs adhesion. Finally, it could be shown that after electron beam irradiation Al2O3 coatings increased the adhesive and proliferative potential of MSCs compared to as-deposited oxide coatings. •Effect of Al2O3 coated surface treatment by argon ions and electron beam was analyzed.•Coating properties shift to a more hydrophilic region after electron beam irradiation.•Comparative analysis was made of treatment conditions effect on BM cell adhesion.•Al2O3 coatings increased adhesive potential of MSCs after electron beam irradiation.