Directing cell migration and organization via nanocrater-patterned cell-repellent interfaces

Surfaces patterned lithographically with nanoscale craters can alter the morphology, migration and localization of cells, and can be designed to create specific cellular patterns. Although adhesive interactions between cells and nanostructured interfaces have been studied extensively 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , there is a paucity of data on how nanostructured interfaces repel cells by directing cell migration and cell-colony organization. Here, by using multiphoton ablation lithography 7 to pattern surfaces with nanoscale craters of various aspect ratios and pitches, we show that the surfaces altered the cells’ focal-adhesion size and distribution, thus affecting cell morphology, migration and ultimately localization. We also show that nanocrater pitch can disrupt the formation of mature focal adhesions to favour the migration of cells towards higher-pitched regions, which present increased planar area for the formation of stable focal adhesions. Moreover, by designing surfaces with variable pitch but constant nanocrater dimensions, we were able to create circular and striped cellular patterns. Our surface-patterning approach, which does not involve chemical treatments and can be applied to various materials, represents a simple method to control cell behaviour on surfaces.