Directing Cell Migration with Asymmetric Micropatterns

This report shows that the direction of polarization of attached mammalian cells determines the direction in which they move. Surfaces micropatterned with appropriately functionalized self-assembled monolayers constrain individual cells to asymmetric geometries (for example, a teardrop); these geome...

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Published inProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 102; no. 4; pp. 975 - 978
Main Authors Jiang, Xingyu, Bruzewicz, Derek A., Wong, Amy P., Piel, Matthieu, Whitesides, George M.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States National Academy of Sciences 25.01.2005
National Acad Sciences
Subjects
3T3 cells
Animals
B lymphocytes
Cell adhesion & migration
Cell Communication
Cell motility
Cell Movement
Cell nucleus
Cell Polarity
Cells
Chemistry
COS Cells
Electrochemical cells
Endothelial cells
Humans
Mice
Microtubules
NIH 3T3 Cells
Physical Sciences
Pseudopodia
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Summary:This report shows that the direction of polarization of attached mammalian cells determines the direction in which they move. Surfaces micropatterned with appropriately functionalized self-assembled monolayers constrain individual cells to asymmetric geometries (for example, a teardrop); these geometries polarize the morphology of the cell. After electrochemical desorption of the self-assembled monolayers removes these constraints and allows the cells to move across the surface, they move toward their blunt ends.
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Author contributions: X.J. designed research; X.J., D.A.B., A.P.W., and M.P. performed research; X.J. and M.P. contributed new reagents/analytic tools; X.J., D.A.B., and M.P. analyzed data; and X.J., D.A.B., and A.P.W. wrote the paper.
Abbreviation: SAM, self-assembled monolayer.
Contributed by George M. Whitesides, December 2, 2004
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: gwhitesides@gmwgroup.harvard.edu.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.0408954102